What is a miracle, and is it ever reasonable to believe that one has happened?
Miracles: definitions of a miracle, the religious significance of miracles, Hume's argument against believing in miracles, and religious and non-religious responses.
An SQA Higher RMPS answer on Miracles, covering definitions of a miracle, their religious significance, Hume's argument against believing miracle reports, and how religious and non-religious viewpoints respond, with the skills to evaluate them.
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What this dot point is asking
Miracles is a topic in the Religious and Philosophical Questions area, examined in Question Paper 2. It asks what a miracle is, why miracles matter to religion, and whether it is ever reasonable to believe one has happened, focusing on Hume's famous argument. The SQA wants you to define a miracle, explain its significance, set out Hume's challenge, and evaluate the question with a judgement.
What a miracle is
- On the violation definition, a miracle breaks the normal regularities of nature (for example walking on water, raising the dead), which is what makes it so contested.
- On the sign or wonder definition, what matters is the religious meaning of the event, not whether a law of nature was broken; a remarkable but natural event can still be a "miracle" if it reveals God.
- Which definition you use shapes the whole debate, so a strong answer makes its definition explicit.
The religious significance of miracles
- Miracles appear in the scriptures of many religions as signs of God's power and care, for example healings and other wonders.
- They can support faith by showing God acting in the world, and are sometimes taken as evidence for religious claims.
- Critics note that miracle claims are also used by rival religions, which raises the question of how to tell genuine from spurious claims.
Hume's argument against miracles
The examinable core of this topic is Hume's challenge.
- Hume holds that a wise person proportions belief to the evidence. The laws of nature are supported by the firm and uniform experience of very many people; a miracle report rests on the limited testimony of a few.
- Therefore the weight of uniform experience against the event always outweighs the testimony for it, so it is never reasonable to believe a miracle on testimony.
- Hume adds practical points: witnesses can be mistaken or dishonest, miracle reports tend to come from the credulous, and the competing miracles of different religions cancel each other out.
Religious and non-religious responses
- A non-religious thinker often agrees with Hume: reported miracles probably have natural explanations we have not yet found, or the testimony is unreliable.
- A religious thinker may reply that Hume begs the question by assuming the laws of nature are exceptionless, that for someone who already believes in God an occasional divine act is not impossible, and that the religious meaning of an event matters more than whether a law was broken.
- A strong evaluation weighs Hume's argument against these replies and reaches a judgement, for example that belief can be reasonable for a theist while strong evidence is rightly demanded.
Try this
Q1. Give Hume's definition of a miracle. [1 mark]
- Cue. A violation of a law of nature brought about by God (or an invisible agent).
Q2. Why, for Hume, can testimony never establish a miracle? [2 marks]
- Cue. Laws of nature rest on the uniform experience of many; testimony rests on a few; a wise person proportions belief to the evidence, so uniform experience outweighs testimony.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher specimen8 marksExplain Hume's argument against believing that a miracle has occurred.Show worked answer →
An 8-mark "explain" question rewards a developed account of Hume's reasoning.
Set out the argument. Hume defines a miracle as a violation of a law of nature. The laws of nature rest on the firm, uniform experience of very many people, while a miracle report rests on the limited testimony of a few. A wise person proportions belief to the evidence, so the weight of uniform experience against the event always outweighs the testimony for it. Hume adds practical points: witnesses may be mistaken or deceitful, miracle reports cluster among the credulous, and rival religions' miracles cancel out. The reasonable conclusion is that it is never rational to believe a miracle on testimony. Develop the core argument plus one or two supporting points to reach the top band.
SQA Higher specimen10 marksTo what extent is it reasonable to believe in miracles?Show worked answer →
A 10-mark evaluation needs argument on both sides and a judgement.
Argue it is unreasonable: Hume's point that uniform experience outweighs testimony, the unreliability of witnesses, and the availability of natural explanations. Then argue it can be reasonable: Hume may beg the question by assuming the laws are exceptionless; for a believer who already accepts a God, an occasional act of God is not impossible; and some reported events resist natural explanation. Bring in a non-religious view (events have natural causes we have not yet found) and a religious one (miracles as signs of God). Reach a supported judgement, for example that belief is reasonable for a theist but that strong evidence is rightly demanded.
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