Swinburne’s principles of credulity and testimony

Question 1

his approach

Answer 1

-takes an evidence analysis based approach to RE. it can be evidence for god that justifies belief in god, if survives eempirical testing
-he doesnt favour any type of RE- any could be valid evidence for god if theres no reason not to believe it
-doesnt prove god but its evidence that by itself it gives a rational reason to beleive in god

Question 2

swinburne quote

Answer 2

“it is a principle of rationality that (in the absence of special considerations) if it seems (epistemically) to a subject that χ is present, then probably χ is present; what one seems to perceive is probably so”

Question 3

the principles of testimony and credulity

Answer 3

• The principle of credulity argues that you should believe what you experience unless you have a reason not to.
• The principle of testimony argues that you should believe what others tell you they have experienced, unless you have a reason not to.

Question 4

consequnce of his theory

Answer 4

-it would reject alot of RE as many we have evidence r caused by psychological/physiological influences or lies

Question 5

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence:

Answer 5

However, is a mere experience of God sufficient evidence to justify belief in God?
Arguably the existence of God is an extraordinary claim which therefore might require extraordinary evidence.

Question 6

public experinces

ordinary experiences

Answer 6

-where a person interprets a natural event as having religous significance
-eg beauty of nature

Question 7

public experinces

extraordinary experiences

Answer 7

-appear to violate normal understanding of workings of nature
-eg jesus turning water into wine at cana (john 2)

Question 8

private experinces

can be described in ordinary language

Answer 8

-eg dreams
-eg josephs dream of god telling him to flee to eygpt in bible (matthew 2)

Question 9

private experinces

non-describable experiences

Answer 9

-this refers to direct experiences of god in which god is revealed to ppl
-these experinces r ineffable

Question 10

private experinces

non-specific experinces

Answer 10

-experiences could include things like looking at world from religous perspective
-eg seeing intriacy of god teh creator of universe