3E Different Definitions of Miracles Flashcards Preview

A-level RS - Philosophy (Eduqas/WJEC) > 3E Different Definitions of Miracles > Flashcards

Flashcards in 3E Different Definitions of Miracles Deck (19)
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1
Q

What are the issues surrounding defining miracles?

A
  • What is involved in a proper conception of the miraculous?
  • What are the grounds for deciding whether a miracle has taken place; Lareece Butler survived a free fall of 3,000 ft after jumping with a faulty parachute, suffering only a broken leg - is that a miracle?
2
Q

What is the etymology of the word ‘miracle’?

A
  • Derives from the Latin word for ‘wonder’

* The main characteristic of a miracle is that it is an unusual event that produces wonder

3
Q

What was Augustine’s view of miracles? [not named on spec]

A
  • Miracles ≠ contrary to nature ∵ the hidden potentials that make miracles possible have been placed there by G.
  • They are only contrary to our knowledge/understanding of nature
4
Q

How did Aquinas develop Augustine’s view of miracles?

A
  • “That which has a divine cause, not that whose cause a human person fails to understand”
  • Everything that exists has a nature
  • A miracle = event beyond the natural power of any created being
  • G alone can do miracles ∵ he is un-created
5
Q

What did Aquinas identify as the three types of miracle?

A

1) G does something that nature could never do; e.g. sun going back on its course across sky
2) G does something which nature can do, but not in this order; e.g. someone living after death
3) G does something that the working of nature does, but w/o the operation of the principles of nature; being instantly cured of an illness that usually takes much longer to cure
• In all three events, G = active

6
Q

What does Hume write in Section X of ‘Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding’?

A
  • Miracles = “a violation of natural law”
  • “a transgression of a law of nature by a particular volition of the deity, or by the interposition of some invisible agent”
  • A miracle had to break the laws of nature AND express divine cause; e.g. raising someone from the dead
7
Q

What is the ‘hard’ interpretation of Hume’s definition?

A
  • Assumes that the laws of nature are unalterably uniform
  • If miracles are a “violation” of what cannot be altered, then miracles = impossible
  • Similarly, what appears to be a violation of a law of nature is a misstated law of nature. The laws postulated need to be adjusted to take in the new circumstance, so that a new law of nature is now derived that has no exceptions
8
Q

What is the ‘soft’ interpretation of Hume’s definition?

A
  • Natural laws ≠ fixed laws; they can have exceptions - can be altered by G’s intervention
  • This makes the issue for belief in miracles not about a logical impossibility, but about whether the evi. for the altered law is credible/convincing
9
Q

Why is R.F. Holland’s approach to defining miracles different?

A

• He said that a miracle need neither involve breaking the laws of nature, nor intervention by God

10
Q

What is R.F. Holland’s definition of miracles?

A
  • “a remarkable and beneficial coincidence that is interpreted in a religious way”
  • Referred to it as a “contingency miracle”
  • A miracle can only be spoken about against a religious background where the miracle is taken as a sign.
11
Q

What example did R.F. Holland use and what is its significance?

A
  • Child on the train tracks: train coming towards him, stops metres away; the mother interprets it as a miracle; the real reason = the emergency braking system was activated ∵ driver suffered a heart condition
  • To a r. person, it is a miracle, even though it does not break the laws of nature
  • A non-r. person would simply call it ‘luck’
  • The interpretation of the event is what makes it a miracle
12
Q

In what way does Swinburne agree with Hume?

A

• Accepts that a miracle is an objective event in which G intervenes
∴ miracles = signs from G; “sign” is used in John’s Gospel to refer to J’s miracles which always seem to point to something beyond the actual event

13
Q

What is the first change that Swinburne makes to Hume’s definition?

A

• Believes that Hume’s phrase (“a violation of a law of nature”) is misleading ∵ the word “violation” suggests too close an analogy btwn laws of nature and civil, moral laws
∴ borrows a phrase from Ninian Smart: “an occurrence of a non-repeatable counter-instance to a law of nature”
• If, after a miracle, you were to modify the law of nature, it would give false predictions in all other circumstances

14
Q

What is the second change that Swinburne makes to Hume’s definition?

A
  • Miracles hold deeper r. significance than simply breaking the laws of nature
  • To be a miracle, the event must contribute towards a holy divine purpose
15
Q

What are the four reasons of why religious believers accept that miracles occur?

A

1) Historical evidence
2) Scriptural evidence
3) Affirmation of faith traditions
4) Personal experience

16
Q

Explain why the following reason makes religious believers accept that miracles occur: historical evidence.

A
  • If the hist. evi. = strong, seems reasonable to believe the miracle has occurred
  • Swinburne: natural theology establishes the probability that G would produce a revelation, which miracles can do, as long as it is verified by historical investigation and confirmed as authentic
  • Many historians, e.g. Carl Becker: miracles cannot be the object of historical investigation since they claim to involve a supernatural being.
  • However, J’s res. can be verified since it is ass. w/ other hist. data e.g. crucifixion/empty tomb
  • The historian cannot identify the supernatural agent, but can detect aspects of it through hist. investigation.
17
Q

Explain why the following reason makes religious believers accept that miracles occur: scriptural evidence.

A
  • Sacred writings record supernatural events to vindicate claims of those accepted as G’s messengers
  • Islam: accepts the supernatural, although Muhammad refused to do wondrous signs to strengthen his authority; some believe his only miracle = prod. of Qur’an
  • Buddhism: rejects miracles as a sign of G ∵ they are non-theistic
18
Q

Explain why the following reason makes religious believers accept that miracles occur: affirmation of faith traditions.

A
  • Many r. believers claim that only the ‘true’ r. has ‘true’ miracles
  • Miracles act as a divine signature, confirming authority
  • Miracles = to be expected if G has an interest in communicating w/ ppl
  • Each r. contains a valid response to the reality of G.
19
Q

Explain why the following reason makes religious believers accept that miracles occur: personal experience.

A
  • Lourdes: since, 1858, 69 verified miracles, e.g Danila Castelli, who had a tumour healed - “unexplained according to current scientific knowledge” (medical committee)
  • Many go to Lourdes as they believe in a personal G
  • Prayer sometimes leads to miracles
  • Testimonies of personal healing = often a feature of char. C.ty