Monday 9 December 2013

Seminar 9 - 11th Dec - Hume On Miracles

Reading: Hume - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Section 10

Questions:

1. Do you belive in miracles? Why/why not?

2. Hume says in paragraph 4 "a wise man, therefore, proportions his belief to the evidence". What does he mean by this?

3. Can we know things via testimony? Why/why not?

4. Whose testimony do you trust the most? Why?

5. At paragraphy 12 how does Hume define a miracle? Is it a good defintion? Why/why not?

6. What is Hume's argument right at the end of Part 1 (paragraph 13)?

7. Is there anyone whose testimony would be sufficent to establish a miracle to you?

8. In Part 2 Paragraoh 15 Hume says "there is not to be found, in all history, any miracle attested by a sifficent number of men, or such unquestioned good sense, education and learning as to secure us against all delusion in themselves". Do you agree?

9. In Part 2 paragraph 24 Hume says "in matters of religion, whatever is different is contrarym abd ,,, it is impossible the religions of ancient Rome, of Turkey, of Siam and of Chia, should , all of them, be established on any solid foundation". What does he mean by this? Is there any statement on which all religions agree? If so, what does this mean?