Hume on Miracles Essay - 689 Words

Hume on Miracles It is evident in David Humes writing of An Equity Concerning Human Understanding that he does not believe that miracles take place. Hume is a man of logic, who believes in experience over knowledge. Of course it is hard for such a man to believe in extraordinary claims without being there to witness them. Especially when such events require a lot of faith. In order for an event to be deemed a miracle, it must disobey the laws of nature. However, it is these same laws that disprove almost any miracle that has ever been reported. He writes that some events that people report as miracles truly are not. For example, it is not a miracle, that fire burns wood, or that a healthy man dies, because both of these are†¦show more content†¦Then and only then would he be able to be sure that a person was not motivated by any other force when claiming that what they saw was actually a miracle. In so many words, Hume wrote, that no testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony is of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavors to establish#8230; (pg. 674, col.1). He then goes on to say that at no time has there been any miracle attested by a sufficient number of men of such unquestioned good sense, education, and learning, as to secure us against all delusion in themselv es#8230; (pg. 674, col.2). His point being that no scholar would ever back such an obsurd story because of the risk of being ridiculed by his piers. He says that miracles are further disproved by the fact that most of them are reported by ignorant, barbarous people of past generations. Some of the things that these people have reported as marvelous are common among later generations, so their mysteriousness has been lost and they are no longer miracles. If you are wondering why stories like these do not originate today, Hume says they do, but we rule them out as lies. According to him, people have always had tendencies to stretch the truth andShow MoreRelatedThe Existence Of Miracles By David Hume1350 Words   |  6 Pagesthe case of miracles. Consequently, the authors included in the book, In Defense of Miracles, each considers different important details as the defining factors in the debate of the existence of miracles. Of those, some focus more heavily on the likelihood of miracles themselves such as Hume, others focus on the existence of God such as Flew and Beck, and others focus on a particular example of a miracle such as Craig. Against Miracles: David Hume David Hume argues against miracles and states thatRead MoreEssay on David Hume: On Miracles1903 Words   |  8 Pages In explaining Hume’s critique of the belief in miracles, we must first understand the definition of a miracle. The Webster Dictionary defines a miracle as: a supernatural event regarded as to define action, one of the acts worked by Christ which revealed his divinity an extremely remarkable achievement or event, an unexpected piece of luck. Therefore, a miracle is based on one’s perception of past experiences, what everyone sees. It is based on an individuals own reality, and the faith in whichRead MoreEssay about Of Miracles by David Hume936 Words   |  4 PagesOf Miracles by David Hume In David Hume?s paper ?Of Miracles,? Hume presents a various number of arguments concerning why people ought not to believe in any miracles. Hume does not think that miracles do not exist it is just that we should not believe in them because they have no rational background. One of his arguments is just by definition miracles are unbelievable. And have no rational means in believing miracles. Another argument is that most miracles tend to come from uncivilizedRead MoreIn An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding by David Hume, the idea of miracles is introduced.1300 Words   |  6 PagesUnderstanding by David Hume, the idea of miracles is introduced. Hume’s argument is that there is no rational reason for human beings to believe in miracles, and that it is wrong to have miracles as the building blocks for religion. It is because the general notion of miracles come from the statement of others who claim to have seen them, Hume believes that there is no way to prove that tho se accounts are accurate, because they were not experienced first-hand. In order to believe a miracle, the evidence shouldRead MoreThis paper will demonstrate why Hume thinks accepting testimony about a miracle is unreasonable and800 Words   |  4 Pagesdemonstrate why Hume thinks accepting testimony about a miracle is unreasonable and why he is incorrect. It will do so by first presenting Humes argument as to why miracles are improbable. Second it will present Humes four main justifications for not accepting miracles. Finally it will present how Humes justifications are incorrect. Hume believes that accepting testimony about miracles is unreasonable because there is no imperative reason to believe in miracles. Our knowledge of miracles comes fromRead MoreEssay on Hume’s Reasons for Rejecting Miracles815 Words   |  4 Pagesfor Rejecting Miracles One of the main philosophers in the debate about miracles is David Hume. I will start this essay with a basic summary of Hume’s argument. Hume’s argument is not that miracles cannot happen, but that, given the amount of evidence that has established and confirmed a law of nature, there can never be sufficient evidence to prove that a law of nature has been violated. He believes that miracles have no rational background. Hume was an empiricistRead MoreBy Definition Miracles Do Not Occur Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesBy Definition Miracles Do Not Occur Even in this modern age, belief in the miraculous is widespread and is a feature of many world religions, including the Christian faith where miracles have played a significant role. It is important attempt to define what a miracle is, as this in itself is a source for debate. Today the term ‘miracle’ in many different ways and the idea is open to many interpretations. A miracle can be defined in a number of ways, firstly asRead MoreDavid Humes Anti Miracle Belief Essay1577 Words   |  7 PagesThe problem of miracles is an ancient one that has persisted for most of human history, but that has been addressed with some depth only in the last few centuries. The great empiricist philosopher David Hume was one of the first to present an analysis of miracles that tried to explain why they are created (by human beings themselves, in Hume’s opinion) and why people are so ready to believe in them. This is an important field of study, as with greater knowledge of the character of physical lawRead MoreEssay Miracles849 Words   |  4 PagesMiracles From the Latin word miraculum meaning â€Å"object of wonder† enters the word miracle. Many definitions have been formed for the notion of a miracle but most would agree that it is most commonly an unexplainable extraordinary event, inspiring awe and wonder unto its witnesses. Similar definitions state that it is a â€Å"supernatural event, contrary to the established constitutionRead MoreWhat is a Miracle? Essay examples716 Words   |  3 Pages(a) What is meant by the term miracle? (4 marks) A miracle can be defined as, `a transgression of a law of nature by a particular violation of a deity, Hume. It describes supernatural events, which defy the universal laws of nature. This could be a man rising from the ground against the law of gravity. J.L. Mackie has a similar point of view and suggests that miracles occur when the world is interfered with, by something that is not of natural order. Some doctors have said that a particular