A Defense of Hume on Miracles

Robert J. Fogelin

Published by Princeton University Press 2003

A Defense of Hume on Miracles

Robert J. Fogelin

Volume 13 in the series Princeton Monographs in Philosophy

https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400825776

Overview
Contents

About this book

Since its publication in the mid-eighteenth century, Hume's discussion of miracles has been the target of severe and often ill-tempered attacks. In this book, one of our leading historians of philosophy offers a systematic response to these attacks.

Arguing that these criticisms have--from the very start--rested on misreadings, Robert Fogelin begins by providing a narrative of the way Hume's argument actually unfolds. What Hume's critics (and even some of his defenders) have failed to see is that Hume's primary argument depends on fixing the appropriate standards of evaluating testimony presented on behalf of a miracle. Given the definition of a miracle, Hume quite reasonably argues that the standards for evaluating such testimony must be extremely high. Hume then argues that, as a matter of fact, no testimony on behalf of a religious miracle has even come close to meeting the appropriate standards for acceptance. Fogelin illustrates that Hume's critics have consistently misunderstood the structure of this argument--and have saddled Hume with perfectly awful arguments not found in the text. He responds first to some early critics of Hume's argument and then to two recent critics, David Johnson and John Earman. Fogelin's goal, however, is not to "bash the bashers," but rather to show that Hume's treatment of miracles has a coherence, depth, and power that makes it still the best work on the subject.

Author / Editor information

Robert J. Fogelin is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy and the Sherman Fairchild Professor in the Humanities at Dartmouth College. His previous books include Wittgenstein, Hume's Skepticism, and Pyrrhonian Reflections on Knowledge and Justification.

Reviews

This book provides a subtle reading of Hume; it is both engaging and well argued; and, it makes a useful addition to the recent literature concerning both Hume's argument and testimony in general.---Dan O'Brien, Philosophy in Review

What a joy to read a philosophy book that is graceful, clear, and short. . . . Fogelin writes with the simplicity and immediacy of a distinguished mind. . . . [I]mpressively conceived and executed.---Mark Sainsbury, Times Literary Supplement

"We are very much in need of Fogelin's response to the recent abuse heaped on Hume's argument. His book is elegant without being imprecise, well argued without being overly complex, and a pleasure to read."—David Owen, University of Arizona

"Fogelin's defense of Hume on miracles is both engaging and illuminating. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in Hume or in the topic of testimonial evidence for miracles."—Don Garrett, New York University

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Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	ix
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xi
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	xiii
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1 The Structure of Hume’s Argument Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	4
2 Two Recent Critics Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	32
3 The Place of “Of Miracles” in Hume’s Philosophy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	54
Appendix 1. Hume’s Curious Relationship to Tillotson Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	63
Appendix 2. “Of Miracles” Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	68
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
References Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	95
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	97

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