dialogue on good evil and the existence of god pdf

Nor can we use such depictions to inform other aspects of the world, such as whether there is a dessert-based afterlife. Hume develops what are now standard objections to the analogical design argument by insisting that the analogy is drawn only from limited experience, making it impossible to conclude that a cosmic designer is infinite, morally just, or a single being.

Further, he argues, rational arguments cannot lead us to a deity. As such, Hume rejects the truth of any revealed religion, and further shows that, when corrupted with inappropriate passions, religion has harmful consequences to both morality and society. If correct, this claim would undermine the veracity of any sacred text, such as the Bible, which testifies to miracles and relies on them as its guarantor of truth. He gives a sweeping argument that we are never justified in believing testimony that a miracle has occurred, because the evidence for uniform laws of nature will always be stronger. Though Hume’s final view on religion is not clear, what is certain is that he was not a theist in any traditional sense. However, through Hume’s various philosophical writings, he works to critique each of these avenues of religious justification. Religious belief is often defended through revealed theology, natural theology, or pragmatic advantage. When taken together, however, they provide his attempt at a systematic undermining of the justifications for religion. Taken individually, Hume gives novel insights into many aspects of revealed and natural theology.

David Hume (1711-1776) was called “Saint David” and “The Good David” by his friends, but his adversaries knew him as “The Great Infidel.” His contributions to religion have had a lasting impact and contemporary significance.

Dialogue on good evil and the existence of god pdf