Richard Swinburne - RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE
- Created by: EstelleGolby
- Created on: 08-10-18 17:21
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- Richard Swinburne
- Background info
- Oxford Professor of Philosophy
- Inductive Argument
- Attempt to prove God probably exists
- The probability is greater than 50%
- Claims of religious experiences are analysed and a similarity is found between them leading to the conclusion that God must have caused these experiences
- Relies on people's interpretations
- Uses logic
- Attempt to prove God probably exists
- Cumulative Argument
- Had a cumulative approach towards the argument of God's existence and his own focus on religious experience
- Swinburne had a trilogy called: "The Coherence of Theism, the existence of God, and Faith and Reason"
- Claims of religious experiences are combined and each claim builds to the case of God existing
- Lacks logic, investigation and reliability
- Had a cumulative approach towards the argument of God's existence and his own focus on religious experience
- Religious Experience
- Swinburne defined religious experience as "An experience of God or some other supernatural thing"
- These experiences can feature angels, saints, prophets and other religious figures
- 5 types of Religious Experience
- Private 3.) A describable experience (e.g. a dream) 4.) An indescribable experience (e.g. mystical experience) 5.) The feeling of God been experienced but lacks material evidence (e.g. forgiveness)
- Public 1.) Interpreting a normal phenomenon as religious (e.g. a sunset) 2,) Identifying an unuaual public object as supernatural (e.g. the resurrection)
- Private 3.) A describable experience (e.g. a dream) 4.) An indescribable experience (e.g. mystical experience) 5.) The feeling of God been experienced but lacks material evidence (e.g. forgiveness)
- Swinburne defined religious experience as "An experience of God or some other supernatural thing"
- Criticisms
- Michael Martin-Negative Credulity: Those that don't experience God may support the case of God NOT existing
- Swinburne says the Principle of Credulity is only applicable to positive experiences, the absence of evidence does not prove it doesn't exist
- Principle of Credulity clashes with evil & suffering, if there is innocent suffering then the creator must be cruel
- Swinburne says there is not a comparison between trusting your senses with the conclusion that God does not care about suffering
- Michael Martin-Negative Credulity: Those that don't experience God may support the case of God NOT existing
- Principle of Credulity
- "We ought to believe that things are as they seem to be, until we have evidence that we are mistaken"
- Humanity relies on assumption
- Should not believe: Proven liars, drug-users, mental health sufferers, someone that will benefit from tricking us
- "(in the absence of special consideration) the experiences of others are (probably) as they report them"
- Humanity relies on assumption
- Criticism: Why aren't UFOs, monsters and conspiracy theories as widely as accepted as God?
- Response: God existing is more likely since there has been prior testimonies
- "(in the absence of special consideration) the experiences of others are (probably) as they report them"
- "We ought to believe that things are as they seem to be, until we have evidence that we are mistaken"
- Principle of Testimony
- "(in the absence of special consideration) the experiences of others are (probably) as they report them"
- Criticism: Why aren't UFOs, monsters and conspiracy theories as widely as accepted as God?
- Response: God existing is more likely since there has been prior testimonies
- Criticism: Why aren't UFOs, monsters and conspiracy theories as widely as accepted as God?
- "(in the absence of special consideration) the experiences of others are (probably) as they report them"
- Background info
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