Should you believe in miracles?

Philosopher David Hume thought you should look at the evidence. We've employed a Time Lord to investigate.

Narrated by Aidan Turner. Scripted by Nigel Warburton.

From the BBC Radio 4 series about life's big questions - A History of Ideas.

This project is from the BBC in partnership with The Open University, the animations were created by Cognitive.

[omara.ramirezsosa]

This should have like a million views. Awesome work BBC ❤️

[furiousgeorge]

I know Hume talked about the induction problem, so couldn't you really never call anything a miracle because it is possible that the laws of nature simply changed to allow it to happen, thus making it only an extraordinary event?

[davidgamble]

Hume: 1) Emotions drive our reason, 2) Theists are wrong for letting their reason succumb to wrong passions, 3) Therefore Naturalism is better than Theism
BUT Hume's emotions, by this reasoning, would also be flawed. All Hume has really said is that he prefers Naturalism so you should too. That's dogma, my friend.
Hume on materialism: 1) Miracles violate the laws of nature, 2) Laws of nature can't be violated, 3) Therefore miracles can't happen 4) All claims of miracles are worthless because the people that made them were only driven by passions. (a claim made by passion, ironically)
BUT theists aren't talking about the same thing definitionally. All Hume has really done is smuggle his own presuppositions into the definition of a miracle. Further, the current way has gone to verification and then falsification; this fails on both accounts.


If you a Humian philosopher, congrats, you subscribe to dogmatic behavior.

Naturalists often accuse theists of irrational thinking, but I know far more theists that have read materials of Naturalism than vice-versa. You read the materials put out by Alvin Plantinga and Craig Keener and come back to talk to me, and we will have a rational conversation.

[GPCTM]

There's a name for those who believe in what others told them: damn fools.

[gurjotsingh]

You guys deserve much better
Just 29k ....???
This generation is actually doomed

[EuropeanQoheleth]

Hume on miracles is one of the worst things I've ever read. He sets so high a bar that nothing could possibly get over it.

[thoughtheglass]

It is always funny to see people who believe in science using selectively quoting and using humes arguments against miracles.

[Epistemophilos]

The production and artwork is awesome, it's just the content of this one that is embarrassing.