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Single Idea 2229
[filed under theme 28. God / B. Proving God / 3. Proofs of Evidence / e. Miracles
]
Full Idea
No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle, unless the testimony be of such a kind that its falsehood would be more miraculous than the fact which it endeavours to establish.
Gist of Idea
To establish a miracle the falseness of the evidence must be a greater miracle than the claimed miraculous event
Source
David Hume (Enquiry Conc Human Understanding [1748], X.I.91)
Book Ref
Hume,David: 'Enquiries Conc. Human Understanding, Morals', ed/tr. Selby-Bigge/Nidditch [OUP 1975], p.116
The
13 ideas
with the same theme
[seeing unnatural events as proof of God's existence]:
20716
|
False prophets will perform wonders to deceive even the elect
[Mark]
|
5974
|
People report seeing through rocks, or over the horizon, or impossibly small works
[Plutarch]
|
7902
|
The Buddha made flowers float in the air, to impress people, and make them listen
[Mahavastu]
|
4827
|
Priests reject as heretics anyone who tries to understand miracles in a natural way
[Spinoza]
|
4868
|
Trying to prove God's existence through miracles is proving the obscure by the more obscure
[Spinoza]
|
12571
|
If miracles aim at producing belief, it is plausible that their events are very unusual
[Locke]
|
5030
|
Miracles are extraordinary operations by God, but are nevertheless part of his design
[Leibniz]
|
12909
|
Everything, even miracles, belongs to order
[Leibniz]
|
12784
|
Allow no more miracles than are necessary
[Leibniz]
|
2227
|
A miracle violates laws which have been established by continuous unchanging experience, so should be ignored
[Hume]
|
2228
|
All experience must be against a supposed miracle, or it wouldn't be called 'a miracle'
[Hume]
|
2229
|
To establish a miracle the falseness of the evidence must be a greater miracle than the claimed miraculous event
[Hume]
|
7636
|
It can't be more rational to believe in natural laws than miracles if the laws are not rational
[Ishaq on Hume]
|