Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Philosophy > Miracles > Flashcards

Miracles Flashcards

1
Q

Essay Structure:

“Critically assess Wiles views on Miracles”

A

AGREE- against miracles
YES: Wiles (for/against/for)
NO: James (against/for/against)
YES: Hume (for/against/for)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Essay Structure:
“Critically assess Hume’s reasons for rejecting miracles”
(6)

A

Para 1: Intro/empiricism/law of nature uniform and constant?

(introduce 4 practical reasons for doubting testimony)

Para 2: Trusted/Swinburne/against Hume

Para 3: Drawn to things of wonder/boy on rail road
track/70,00 saw sun move to earth in bible/ against Hume

Para 4: Primitive and barbarous/ uneducated/ anyone can give evidence in court/ against Hume (Freud-illusion)

Para 5: Contrary facts/ Mohammed created Koran by miracle which denies resurrection/ miracles would be arbitrary and partisan/ truth in all religion

Para 6: Empiricism/ red sea/ logical explanations/ law of nature never broken/ Keith Ward- 99x out 100?

Conclusion: More reasonable that miracles do happen as Hume doesn’t disprove them only criticises them.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Essay Structure:

“Asses the view that miracles aren’t consistent with a loving God”

A

HELP

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Hume definition of a miracle:

A

The transgression against a law of nature BY A PARTICULAR volition of the deity

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Aquinas definition of a miracle:

A
  1. Against laws of nature
  2. Against ordinary course of nature
  3. Incredible within the ordinary course of nature
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Arbitrary:

A

Pointless

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Partisan:

A

Chooses

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Problem with arbitrary and partisan??

A

Means God is not omni-belevolent or omnipotent

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Wiles is not an…

A

Interventionist (God doesn’t intervene)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Wiles main points:

4

A

1) God doesn’t intervene or he would be arbitrary and partisan
2) If laws are broken they are not laws
3) God sustains the world but doesn’t intervene (deist not interventionist)
4) Miracles should be interpreted symbolically
- Resurrection
- Incarnation (Perfect Christian)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Swinburne’s criticism of Wiles…

Counterargument…

A

Evidence of miracles in the bible? Credulity and testimony?

Bible not literal? Interpret symbolically?

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Criticisms of Wiles…

A

NO: No empirical evidence for miracles?

YES: Miracles in bible are good? Harsh to say arbitrary and partisan?
NO: Bible can be interpreted symbolically

YES: Reasonable to take a deist view as if God intervened he would be seen as arbitrary and partisan, questioning attributes.
NO: If god all loving he would want to intervene?
YES: Then we would have no free will? Not all loving if everything is determined.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

William James Lectures…

A

“Varieties of religious experience”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

William James idea on miracles…

3

A

1) Validity of experience based on how it effects life not the origin of experience
2) Unbias/objective view
3) Empirical evidence from primary sources
(Could be argued that it isn’t empirical)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

William James Characteristics of Miracles…

A

Passivity- OUT OF CONTROL
Ineffable- indescribable
Noetic- learn from experience
Transcient- short exp but long term effects

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

William James ‘Fruits’ that make exp valid…

A

1) Experience wider environment
2) Surrender to a friendly power
3) Freedom and elation
4) Want to change life for the better

17
Q

William James conclusions…

A

1) Psychological and spiritual
2) Pragmatic- is life changed? Makes it valid
3) Plurality- Strength in numbers
4) Higher order involved in world (God)

18
Q

William James Evaluation…

A

YES: Supports that exp is true for the person
NO: Never refers to God?
YES: Reasonable to assume this higher order is God

YES: Strength in numbers/similar experiences
NO: Millions of people don’t have these experiences?
YES: They may interpret them wrong or not have experienced them yet

19
Q

Hume intro…

4

A

1) Empiricist/ eye witness testimony not proof
2) Improbability of exp
- Problem for Christians/resurrection
3) 4 practical reasons for rejecting validity of testimony
4) Miracles by definition don’t happen
- Law of nature uniform and constant
- If this changes it becomes a new law which is uniform and constant
- Law is not ‘broken’

20
Q

Hume’s 4 practical reasons for rejecting miracles…

A

1) Trusted?
2) Drawn to wonder/ dazzled
3) Primitive and Barbarous
4) Contrary facts

21
Q

(Hume) Trusted paragraph…

Evaluation (against/for/against)

A
  • Trust people
  • People lie? Its part of life?

NO: Swinburne credulity and testimony/ drug users
YES: even trusted people can lie?
NO: Davies- if we never trusted anything there would be no answers?

22
Q

(Hume) Dazzled paragraph

Evaluation (against/for/against)

A
  • People have a tendency of looking for wonder/unusual
  • Interpret logical events in spiritual way
  • E.G Train track- series of cause/effect events interpreted religiously?

NO: Many miracles are beyond explanation? 70,000 in bible saw sun move to earth?
YES: Bible miracles not literal
NO: Interpretation is true to the believer to strip back all miracles in the bible leaves the Christian faith with nothing.
NO: How do we know how to interpret the bible? No reason to say the miracles are myths/symbolic?

23
Q

(Hume) Primitive/Barbarous paragraph

Evaluation (against/for/against)

A
  • People who exp miracles uneducated
  • Logical explanations they just aren’t intelligent enough to interpret them

NO: Anyone can give evidence in court?
YES: Freud would say exp was an illusion to people who were not educated
NO: No evidence to disprove their experiences? Can’t prove they are an illusion

24
Q

(Hume) Contrary facts paragraph

Evaluation (against/for/against)

A
  • Miracles from each religion are true
  • But miracles of different religions contradict each other?
  • Not all can be true?
  • E.G Mohammed/Koran/ conflicts resurrection

NO: Truth in all religion
YES: Not all can be true?
NO: The miracles are true to the believer? How they interpret it is up to them and can find ways around conflicts

25
Q

(Hume) Empiricism paragraph

Evaluation (against/for/against)

A
  • Empirical evidence necessary for proof of god
  • E.G parting of red sea
  • Not enough knowledge of laws of nature which could empirically explain it

NO: Hume wasn’t there so can’t prove that it didn’t happen
YES: Empiricist so only believes if he sees it
NO: Only super naturalists believe in miracles but that only criticises belief not disproves them?

26
Q

Conclusion of Hume…

A

Reason can’t establish religion only faith can.

NO: Doesn’t disprove exp just criticises them?

27
Q

Hume quote for ‘dazzled’

A

“Natural tendency for things of surprise and wonder”

Philosophy (2 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions