Disproving Miracles

A miracle is a violation of the laws of nature; and as a firm and unalterable experience has established these laws, the proof against a miracle, from the very nature of the fact, is as entire as any argument from experience can possibly be imagined. Why is it more than probable, that all men must die; that lead cannot, of itself, remain suspended in the air; that fire consumes wood, and is extinguished by water; unless it be, that these events are found agreeable to the laws of nature, and there is required a violation of these laws, or in other words, a miracle to prevent them? Nothing is esteemed a miracle, if it ever happen in the common course of nature... There must, therefore, be a uniform experience against every miraculous event, otherwise the event would not merit that appellation. And as a uniform experience amounts to a proof, there is here a direct and full proof, from the nature of the fact, against the existence of any miracle; nor can such a proof be destroyed, or the miracle rendered credible, but by an opposite proof, which is superior.

Notes:

By definition, it is a violation of the laws of nature. Where do we see this happen ever?

Folksonomies: natural law miracle

Taxonomies:
/law, govt and politics (0.420392)
/science/geology/seismology/earthquakes (0.414446)
/education (0.388024)

Keywords:
miracle (0.925221 (negative:-0.456321)), nature (0.784575 (negative:-0.297597)), uniform experience (0.736300 (positive:0.461252)), proof (0.681464 (negative:-0.404510)), laws (0.633471 (negative:-0.260496)), violation (0.572451 (negative:-0.495783)), opposite proof (0.564083 (negative:-0.286653)), common course (0.497134 (neutral:0.000000)), miraculous event (0.471984 (positive:0.461252)), unalterable experience (0.469232 (neutral:0.000000)), fact (0.300149 (neutral:0.000000)), Miracles (0.221431 (positive:0.275193)), definition (0.212280 (positive:0.275193)), argument (0.210305 (positive:0.567673)), appellation (0.206851 (neutral:0.000000))

Concepts:
Critical thinking (0.984332): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
Miracle (0.800152): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Philosophy of science (0.747343): dbpedia | freebase
Plato (0.703609): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
Miracles (0.668660): dbpedia
Science (0.637964): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
C. S. Lewis (0.582134): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc | yago
Hindu milk miracle (0.561005): dbpedia | freebase | yago

 An enquiry concerning human understanding
Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book:  Hume , David (1952), An enquiry concerning human understanding, Forgotten Books, Retrieved on 2012-01-30
  • Source Material [books.google.com]
  • Folksonomies: philosophy