A Defense of Hume on Miracles

Author:   Robert J. Fogelin
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Edition:   New edition
Volume:   13
ISBN:  

9780691122434


Pages:   128
Publication Date:   23 January 2005
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
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A Defense of Hume on Miracles


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Overview

"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."

Full Product Details

Author:   Robert J. Fogelin
Publisher:   Princeton University Press
Imprint:   Princeton University Press
Edition:   New edition
Volume:   13
Dimensions:   Width: 14.00cm , Height: 0.90cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.170kg
ISBN:  

9780691122434


ISBN 10:   0691122431
Pages:   128
Publication Date:   23 January 2005
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  College/higher education ,  Professional & Vocational ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand   Availability explained
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Language:   English

Table of Contents

"Preface xi Abbreviations xiii INTRODUCTION 1 CHAPTER 1. The Structur of Hume's Argument 4 CHAPTER 2. Two Recent Critics 32 CHAPTER 3. The Place of ""Of Miracles"" in Hume's Philosophy 54 APPENDIX 1. Hume's Curious Relationship to Tillotson 63 APPENDIX 2. ""Of Miracles"" 68 Notes 89 References 95 Index 97"

Reviews

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 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 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


Author 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""."

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