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Hume weakened analogical arguments for God.
#1
Hume weakened analogical arguments for God.
I'm quoting a small large chunks of it; I could quote the whole chunk, but that would be crazy. Hume writes huge paragraphs. So many semicolons..
What Hume shows is that theism rests on imprecise analogy.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/4583/4583-h/4583-h.htm Wrote:That the works of Nature bear a great analogy to the productions of art, is evident; and according to all the rules of good reasoning, we ought to infer, if we argue at all concerning them, that their causes have a proportional analogy. But as there are also considerable differences, we have reason to suppose a proportional difference in the causes
Quote:But there is a species of controversy, which, from the very nature of language and of human ideas, is involved in perpetual ambiguity, and can never, by any precaution or any definitions, be able to reach a reasonable certainty or precision. These are the controversies concerning the degrees of any quality or circumstance.
Quote:Where then, cry I to both these antagonists, is the subject of your dispute? The Theist allows, that the original intelligence is very different from human reason: The Atheist allows, that the original principle of order bears some remote analogy to it. Will you quarrel, Gentlemen, about the degrees, and enter into a controversy, which admits not of any precise meaning, nor consequently of any determination? If you should be so obstinate, I should not be surprised to find you insensibly change sides; while the Theist, on the one hand, exaggerates the dissimilarity between the Supreme Being, and frail, imperfect, variable, fleeting, and mortal creatures; and the Atheist, on the other, magnifies the analogy among all the operations of Nature, in every period, every situation, and every position. Consider then, where the real point of controversy lies; and if you cannot lay aside your disputes, endeavour, at least, to cure yourselves of your animosity.

Oh, I forget to say that I think! Hume has pointed out the weak, inconclusive nature of these analogies and of the analogy based premises in other arguments for god. Therefore, the case for theism and religion is very underwhelming and inconclusive.
It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but to believe or not believe in God is not important at all. - Denis Diderot

We are the United States of Amnesia, we learn nothing because we remember nothing. - Gore Vidal
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Messages In This Thread
Hume weakened analogical arguments for God. - by Pizza - February 28, 2015 at 1:21 am
RE: Hume weakened analogical arguments for God. - by Angrboda - February 28, 2015 at 10:15 am
RE: Hume weakened analogical arguments for God. - by Pizza - February 28, 2015 at 11:13 pm
RE: Hume weakened analogical arguments for God. - by Mudhammam - February 28, 2015 at 11:17 pm
RE: Hume weakened analogical arguments for God. - by Pizza - February 28, 2015 at 4:33 pm

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