Hume`s Theory of Origin of Religion

One of David Hume 's most controversial arguments that sprung up since his Treatise of Human Nature is the foundation of skepticism in regards to God 's existence . Even today , modern skeptics volley out Hume 's arguments verbatim . Hume 's attacks centered against traditional claims as miracles being proof of God 's existence , and that the idea of God is our own human attributes and increasing them to infinity . In his discourse An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding he stated that 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 ' Hume was pointing out that miracle can happen not in the natural course of things hence defiance of the natural law . He continued in providing instances in the natural flow of things such as that lead cannot , of itself , remain suspended in the air that fire consumes wood , and is extinguished by water ' and he asserted that if these events are found agreeable to the laws of nature ' then there must be no miracle . He asserted that there is required a violation of these laws , or in other words , a miracle to prevent them ' He put it simply in stating that Nothing is esteemed a miracle , if it ever happens in the common course of nature . It is no miracle that a man , seemingly in good health , should die on a sudden because such a kind of death , though more unusual than any other , has yet been frequently observed to happen ' Hume continued on the other hand in saying that but it is a miracle , which a dead man should come to life because that has never been observed in any age or country There must , therefore , be a uniform experience against every miraculous event otherwise the event would not merit that appellation ' Hence events are deemed as miracles only when it has never been seen or recorded in the history of humankind . But he however continued in stating that testimony is not sufficient ground to believe that an event is a miracle unless the testimony is of such a kind , that its falsehood would be more miraculous , than the fact , which it endeavors to establish ' He was therefore trying to emphasize that falsehood is the basis of considering an event a miracle . If somebody tells him about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead , he stated that he would think that this person should either deceive or be deceived or that the fact , which he relates , should really have happened ' And if he ever happened to choose which event he has to believe as a miracle he would choose the testimony which is more miraculous and reject the greater miracle

A major stage in Hume 's overall simplistic thesis is the premise that "causes and effects are discoverable , not by reason , but by experience...