Hume and the Problem of Miracles: A SolutionThis book developed from sections of my doctoral dissertation, "The Possibility of Religious Knowledge: Causation, Coherentism and Foundationalism," Brown University, 1982. However, it actually had its beginnings much earlier when, as an undergraduate at the University of Virginia, I first read Hume's "Of Miracles" and became interested in it. (Fascinated would be too strong. ) My teacher put the following marginal comment in a paper I wrote about it: "Suppose someone told you that they had been impregnated by an angel whispering into their ear. Wouldn't you think they had gone dotty?" She had spent time in England. I thought about it. I agreed that I would not have believed such testimony, but did not think this had much to do with Hume's argument against belief in miracles. What surprised me even more was the secondary literature. I became convinced that Hume's argument was misunderstood. My main thesis is established in Part I. This explains Hume's argument against justified belief in miracles and shows how it follows from, and is intrinsically connected with, his more general metaphysics. Part II Part I. It should give the reader a more complete understanding builds on of both the structure of Hume's argument and of his crucial and questionable premises. Chapters 5 and 11 are perhaps the most technical in the book, but they are also the least necessary. They can be skipped by the reader who is only interested in Hume on miracles. |
Contents
HUMES ACCOUNT OF A POSTERIORI REASONING | 5 |
MIRACLES AND REASONING BASED ON EXPERIENCE | 13 |
THE INDIAN AND THE ICE UNDERSTANDING AND REJECTING HUMES ARGUMENT | 23 |
A BETTER BUT LESS INTERESTING HUMEAN ARGUMENT | 37 |
MIRACLES AND THE LOGICAL ENTAILMENT ANALYSIS OF CAUSATION | 53 |
ARE MIRACLES VIOLATIONS OF LAWS OF NATURE? | 65 |
NOTES TO PART ONE | 75 |
PART II | 87 |
TILLOTSONS ARGUMENT ITS APPLICATION OF JUSTIFIED BELIEF IN MIRACLES | 133 |
101 AHERNS UNSUCCESSFUL CRITIQUE OF TILLOTSON | 137 |
102 THE SIMILARITY OF HUMES ARGUMENT TO TILLOTSONS AND THE FAILURE OF HUMES ARGUMENT | 145 |
CONCLUSION MIRACLES AND CONTEMPORARY EPISTEMOLOGY | 152 |
111 FOUNDATIONALISM AND BELIEF IN MIRACLES | 156 |
112 COHERENCE AND BELIEF IN MIRACLES | 175 |
NOTES TO PART TWO | 189 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 201 |
CAN ANYONE EVER KNOW THAT A MIRACLE HAS OCCURRED? | 89 |
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN KNOWING THAT A MIRACLE HAS OCCURRED | 93 |
HUMES ACCOUNT OF TILLOTSON AND THE ALLEGED ARGUMENT OF A LIKE NATURE | 103 |
TESTIMONY AND SENSORY EVIDENCE REASONS FOR BELIEF IN MIRACLES? | 123 |
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Common terms and phrases
according to Hume Ahern alleged miracle analysis of causation Anthony Flew argue argument against justified argument against miracles assume belief based belief in miracles believing a miracle C.D. Broad causal relation cause and effect circumstances claim concept concerning considered contrary counterfactual counterfactual conditional criteria criterion of proper direct sensory doctrine empiricism Enquiries entailment theory epistemic epistemology Ernest Sosa essay establish evidentialist evidentially impossible extraordinary event Faith and Rationality foundationalism foundationalist given Hume thinks Hume's account Hume's analysis Hume's argument Hume's principles Hume's view Humean idea inference justified belief justified in believing laws of nature logical entailment Mackie means Meta-Ethics miracle occurred natural causes necessary connection normative normative ethical objects one's Philosophical Plantinga possibility of justified posteriori reasoning presupposes principle properly basic propositions question regarded relevant reliabilism sense experience sensory evidence Sosa substance supernaturally caused suppose system of beliefs Theism theories of justification Tillotson's argument transubstantiation Treatise true truth undermine violation