Overview of Hume's Argument [from Google AI]
Hume's insights on miracles have significantly influenced philosophical discourse.
Definition of Miracles — Hume defines miracles as violations of natural laws, which he argues are universally established and thus highly improbable.
Testimony and Evidence — He asserts that human testimony, even if credible, is insufficient to outweigh the established laws of nature, making belief in miracles unreasonable.
Psychological Factors — Hume discusses how psychological biases and cultural influences can lead people to accept miraculous claims without sufficient evidence.
Historical Context — His arguments were groundbreaking in the 18th century, challenging the prevailing views on the credibility of religious miracles.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/miracles/
Miracles
First published Mon Oct 11, 2010; substantive revision Tue May 7, 2024
A miracle (from the Latin mirari, to wonder), at a first and very rough approximation, is an event that is not explicable by natural causes alone. A reported miracle excites wonder because it appears to require, as its cause, something beyond the reach of human action and natural causes. Historically, the appeal to miracles has formed one of the primary lines of argument in favor of specific forms of theism, the argument typically being that the event in question can best (or can only) be explained as the act of a particular deity.
1. Concepts and Definitions
1.1 Miracles as events that exceed the productive power of nature
1.2 Miracles as violations of the laws of nature
1.3 The relevance of religious context
2. Arguments for Miracle Claims
2.1 Categorical and confirmatory arguments
2.2 Four types of arguments
3. Arguments against Miracle Claims
3.1 General arguments
3.2 Particular arguments
3.3 The impact of Hume’s “Of Miracles”
4. Arguments from Miracles
4.1 Would miracles be evidence for the existence of God?
4.2 How much would credible miracle reports establish?
For continuation, see previous link.

