David Hume's argument against miracles is one of his most famous. The claim is that anyone who believes a miracle has occurred is being irrational. This argument has provoked debate amongst philosopher's regarding both how it should be interpreted, and whether he is right.
This video explores this famous argument at the level of a first year undergraduate course in philosophy. It should be helpful for both those that find philosophy interesting and philosophy students alike. I try to explain the issues involved, and then suggest what we can learn from thinking about these issues.
#DavidHume #Miracles #AbsolutePhilosophy
_____Video Contents_____
00:00 - Introduction
01:05 - Hume's argument against miracles - Knowledge, evidence and laws of nature
04:10 - Hume's argument against miracles - Evidence from testimony
06:27 - Hume's argument against miracles - Weighing against miracles
10:58 - Peter Millican's base rate fallacy interpretation
15:35 - R.F. Holland's redefinition of a miracle
18:20 - Richard Swinburne's defence - believe both!
21:05 - What I think
24:43 - Ending
_____Channel description_____
I am a graduate of Cambridge University with a PhD in Philosophy. My thesis was on the nature of truth, and I specialise in metaphysics, logic, and the history of analytic philosophy. I believe philosophy should be made accessible to the curious and philosophers have a duty to reenter the public debate on the questions of importance to our age. This channel is my attempt to do that!
On a personal level, I am a lucky husband, and proud father of two young boys that keep me very much grounded!
_____Memberships_____
To take the ideas I explore on this channel to the next level with in-depth videos and more academic content, please become a member. Most of the videos I produce are exclusive to members. There are also options here to get in touch with me and do philosophy together. Also, with your support I will be able to spend more time reading, thinking, writing, and shooting video content for all you good people! But I need to keep my family fed too, so your membership is GREATLY appreciated.
It's a simple equation: more members = more videos. Thanks!
_____References_____
Holland, R. F. (1965). The Miraculous. American Philosophical Quarterly, 2 (1), pp. 43-51.
Hume, David (1955). An enquiry concerning human understanding. In Steven M. Cahn (ed.), Exploring Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology. Oxford University Press. pp. 112.
McGrew, Timothy (2019). Miracles. In The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Edward N. Zalta ed.).
Millican, Peter (1993). 'Hume's Theorem' Concerning Miracles. The Philosophical Quarterly, 43 (173), pp. 489-495.
Miracles
Swinburne, Richard (1968). Miracles. The Philosophical Quarterly, 18(73), 1968), pp. 320-328.
