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Overview
In this book the author offers a critical analysis of David Hume's argument against miracles from his Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, "Of Miracles" is one of the most influential works written in defense of the position that belief in supernatural occurrences is not reasonable. Using Hume's work as a point of departure, the author addresses the two most important epistemological questions asked about miracles: Is it ever reasonable to ascribe a divine source to an anomalous event in order to identify it as miraculous? and What theoretically entails sufficient evidence that a miracle has actually taken place? Contemporary rehabilitations of Hume's argument, as put forth by Antony Flew, Alastair McKinnon, and Patrick Nowell-Smith, are evaluated. Contents: Defining the Miraculous; Hume's Argument, Part 1; Hume's Argument, Part 2; The Rationality of Belief and the Existence of God; Contemporary Rehabilitations of Hume's Argument; and Miracles and Evidence.
Synopsis
In this book the author offers a critical analysis of David Hume's argument against miracles from his "Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding," "Of Miracles" is one of the most influential works written in defense of the position that belief in supernatural occurrences is not reasonable. Using Hume's work as a point of departure, the author addresses the two most important epistemological questions asked about miracles: Is it ever reasonable to ascribe a divine source to an anomalous event in order to identify it as miraculous? and What theoretically entails sufficient evidence that a miracle has actually taken place? Contemporary rehabilitations of Hume's argument, as put forth by Antony Flew, Alastair McKinnon, and Patrick Nowell-Smith, are evaluated. Contents: Defining the Miraculous; Hume's Argument, "Part 1;" "Hume's Argument, "Part 2;" "The Rationality of Belief and the Existence of God; Contemporary Rehabilitations of Hume's Argument;" and "Miracles and Evidence."
Author Biography: Francis J. Beckwith is Instructor of Philosophy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Editorials
The Journal of Religion
...an excellent textbook for courses on Hume and on philosophy of religion generally. It deserves a wide audience because it combines philosophical rigor with clarity of style.— J.P. Moreland, Professor of Philosophy