Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • Locke & Hume On Passages On Testimony

    Uploaded by

    Ruth Espinosa
    11 views15 pages

    Original Title

    Locke & Hume on passages on Testimony

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Report this Document

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    11 views15 pages

    Locke & Hume On Passages On Testimony

    Uploaded by

    Ruth Espinosa

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF or read online from Scribd
    Flag for inappropriate content
    of 15
    John Locke, Essay Concerning Human Understanding (Book chap} 23. Whar censure, dosbrng sus of innate Pipes, may deserve fom Hen, ‘who wal be ap all poling up he old foundstioas of Kaowledge sed ‘Certainty, canoe el esa ysl aeastha the way Thave pursed, ing conformable to Truth, ly ee foundations ares The am cri | hve noe ade itm basins eet to quit, or follow any Authorty the suing Dicourse! Teh has been my aly anand whereever that bas fppenred 0 lead, my Thouphrs have impartially followed, wast ming, ‘hehe dhe ftps of anyother lay that way, or no, Not hat wane a doe ‘spect to oer Mens Opinions, but ner all the preset reverence de #9 “ht; and, hop, will noc be thought atoganet cosy, Thats ptbaps we ‘Mould mae geratr ropes inthe acorey of ratocal and coneapive uated, we ough tin the Foanain, nthe conseation of Thing en Seles; and made we rather of ur ova Thoughts than other Mens oft (Fox Tek, we may as raoally hope to ee with ther Mes Eyes ao ov by ‘ther Mens Uaderstndings. So uch swe out ees conser and compre ‘of Truth and Reston, much we posse of eel and toe Knowledge The losing of other Mens Option in Our esis maker snot One othe more knowing, hough they happen toe ve. What in hem wae Sines no Bot ‘Opilaey, wilt were up ou Avent only to everend Names, od doa at ‘hey diy tipo our owe Reno owners those Ty wi pave et ‘reputation. Antoie was ceri kaoting Man, but no ody ever thatght him ro, becase he blindly embraced, and confidently vented the Opinions of nthe. Aad if he aking op of another's Pini, without examining thm, ‘ade nothim a Pilosopes I soppose wl hrc make ay bdy eles. Inthe SCinces, eveyone has machy ashe ely knows and comprebends: Whi he [tees ony apd ake pon ra, are bu shred eich however well i the ‘whole pte, ake no considerable aon rhs tok, who gatbets the soch orowed Wilh ke Fairy money, hough were Geld inthe and rom wick Ke reeied lb but Leaver ané Dat hen comes ‘ae Lock, Bsay Concesing Haman Understanding, el. RH, Nich (Oxf ns JOHN LOCKE (ooe1,chapter ee 17. Fel, The fourth and last rong Measure of Probability 3 sat eke oie of and which Keeps in gnoanc, or Eeou more Pople than all theosher Togeter i that whic {have meatoned in the foregoing Chapter les, the [pringup ou Ase tothe common resved Opis ether of oo Fen ot Faryy Neighbourhood, or Cousey. How many Men hae a ater gourd for thee Tet, than the supposed Hones, or Learning of Number of show ofthe Same Profeson?Asifbanasto bookish Ae oul ot eof Truth were be ‘rable bythe Vote oe Maleade: ets wih most Men serves Tara “The Tenet has had th testo of reveend Aig, comes fo me weh the asvpor of former Agen and therfore am secure the Reception Tee ie ‘ther Men have been and are of the sme Opinion, fr that al ss) and therefore itis atone forme toebrace A Man my more jay ow ‘sp Cron and Pefor us Opinions than take them up by ach Measures AL Me ‘liable o Error and mom Mn ae in many Points, by Pasion or Ines, ‘der Temptation owe could bese the secre oie hau tat “Men of Name and Learning nthe Worl, and the Lender of Parts, we oad ot alvays fd, hai was the ebracig of Teuh for sts own ake, cat made the tsps the Decency owed sod manana Thi at atin an, there is ot a Opinion so absurd, which a Man may aor receive upon this ‘round. There co Error to be mated wich ha ot ha Profesor: ad 3 ‘Man hall ever wan crooked ats walkin ie thinks that be bin the ight tr, whereever he haste Fooraep of eben follow. QUESTIONS Acorn to Lace rence onthe suahory earned pop goed my to ain inomecee? 20 David Hume, “Of Miracles” ‘Theres in De Tilton’ wens, sn argument agains the real presence bide ‘sar concis an elegans, and strong samy argent an possibly Be spposed Aint a doce, so ile worthy of seus refraton. Ii acknowledged on Than sn hat aed pelt, that he thoy, ther of he sera of tradition, founded merely in the testimony ofthe apo, who Were ee Weese to those mize of or Saviour by which he proved hs dvine mon. ‘Osrevidenc, the, for he rath of he Chron selon ea han theeience focte rth of our senses; because even nthe st suthors of or rion, as 10 greater and i evident dina in psig frm tem et ir {ipl or can any one re sch confidence nthe ea, an the mae [Mtoe of hiss. Bats weaker evidence an ost destoy 3 engerand therefore were the doctrine ofthe rel presence eve 0 ceely revel np ture iewere det coneay wo th ls of ust easonig to give our sen of Te contradic sense, hough both te serptare an radison, on which ie eop- posed to Be bul, cary not soc evidence withthe a shes Whe they ake ‘onidered merely at exterual evidences and are not brought homeo every oe breast by che reine operation ofthe Hy Spr. "Nothing is So convict asa devuive argument of thi kin, whch mut at least sence the most arrogant bigotry and sapestion, and fee us om hit Uke ature, whiff wl th he wine ad eared, bean everaang sek ‘ol kinds of sopersiioos delusion, and conseaueny, wil busta ong at the word endure For 30 long, I preume, wil the scouts of male Sad ‘prodigies be fod in ll Bory ssred nd profane “Though experience be our ony gude in asonng concerning mavers off it mate be acknowledge, that th guide aot alee nal, bt some ‘ae is apo lead ws int ers. On, wh nour simat,shosld expect eer ‘weather in any weak of Jue tha one of December, would reason sly and (onlay experents but tir cereain thar he my mapper, a he ee nd himself mistaken. Howeves we may observe, hatin sch ease, be would ave no came fo complain of experecy; Because i commonly noes us Davi Hane, Engi Concerning Haman Understenigin Enger oA. Sb ge, Ontos Clean ren 1902) ma DAVID HUME ‘beforehand ofthe unceraingy, by that cotati of even which we nay arn ‘fom ligt observation, Al elect follow aoc with li certainty fo thet ‘uppord eases. Some evens are found inal cous andl ages, 0 have ren conan conjoined eogesur: Other ar fund to bae bec bre Yasble, tnd sometimes to eoapoin ou expectations so ta, our reasoning co ferning mater of fae, there ate all iagioable dsc of assurance fm the Fighet cany ote lowe species of moral een. ’ wise man, thtefoe, proportions hs bel to che evidence Tn such nel sions ab are founded onan inal experencs, he expects the eve wih est ‘egree of ura and rear hs part experiences il jrof of he are txttence of tht even tn ther css eprocteds with more auto He weighs the opronte experiments He omidrs wach side in supported by the gener numberof experiments: othat sie eines, with donb andesite and ‘when at ls Be fess judgement, the evidence eaceeds not what we pope Eallprobably. Al probability, then, supposes a opposition of experimen and lbserratons, whee the one ie found to ovebalnoe the other and ro- faces degre of eigene, proportioned othe pein. A hundred nance forexpernene on one sid and fity on anotiey afford a Jabal expecaren of ‘ay even Sough a ended uniform experiment with oly one that cont cory, resoniy beget «pen suong degre of assurance, In al as we ‘us balance he oppo experiments, here they ate opposite, ané ded the Stale number om the greater, order to know the exact fore of he supior dence "Tospplthte principles toa partclrinsane; we may observe, tha heres no specie of easoning orecommon, ore well andes Reco) to bara than tht whichis derived rom he eatimony mem nd the reports fee ‘wineses ad sperators, This pees of easonig perp, one may deny be Founded onthe claton of ete and fer, sal ot dapat about werd It trl be ufhon o obeys tat our surance many argument of ti id it ‘Served from no other principe than or abet of he vray of aman testimony and ofthe usual conformity of facts ro the reports of witness. It being general atm that no objoas have any dcovrahe connexion ope, snd thrall the inferences, which we can daw fom one o abate, are founded thar we ought not fo make an exception to this maxim in favour of aman tetinon, whose connexion wi any even ser, ula lence 38 Soy ote Were not the memory tenacious to 4 cera dere, had not het ‘emmoaly an nclaadon to ruth and» pincipleofpeabiys wer they ntsens ible to shame, when detected na alsoods Wee no ths, say dicovemd by experince oe gules, nberet a human nature, we should never topo the letsronfidence in umar reson. Aman dliis, of noted for falco and Wily, has no manner of author wh us "Anda the rence, env oa wir aod uma eon, ia faded ‘on pst experience sot vares withthe experience and regarded ete as 2 proof ora probably scondng ws theconfincion erween ay prt kid ‘Steep and any kind of abjecrba ee ound be constans or arable Tere Stcanamber of ceumstaness te alken nr consideration inl dgeret ot ‘hs Kind ad dhe ultimate standard by which we determine al dipats that mm “OF MIRACLES* may aie concerning them, i always derived from experience and observation, ‘Whee this experince sot eae) wafer ona sts atended wi an sravosable contra in our jdgemen, spd wih the same opponton and ‘mutual deseucon of argueat ain ever othr hind of evidence, We regualy [sate concerning the report afoters We balance he oppo cramer, ‘which cause any doubt or uncertain and when We discover asupeinty or a5) {he nctine og bar al wth a diminton of sere, nproporon he foc of it angen, “his conta of eidencs, i the presen case, maybe derived fom sce Aiterene cases om te opposition of conrrytesumny, fr the char ot ‘numberof the wetness om the manse fer delering ther tatoo from the anion ofl these ccstances, We enerain a wspicion coneening any mater of fact, when the wieesae contradict each ther en heya bat few. or of = doubdal charac; whea they have an ncerest in what hey afm, when they dlver dee estinon wit estan, ar onthe conta, Wil to olen ancversins There re many oer prise of he ame kind, wich ‘may diminuh or doy the for of s0y argument, derived frm aman Suppou, for tance, tha the fact which he etimony endeavour to ea lsh, paeaes of the extzordiary ad te marvellous in tha cse che evince, esi om dhe estou, admits ofa dmintion, pester olan peepor Sona he fact is oreo less unosial The reason why we plce aby cect In ‘wineses and histone, at deed rom any conmerion, which we pee t Pro, been tesimony and reat, bu because we ae accustomed 0 fi 2 oti brween them But when the ft tested sacha one aha sim, falls under oar observation, heres contr of 0 oppie experienc oF which te one destroys te oe as far as force goes, and be supenar canon operate onthe mind bythe fre, which remains, The very ame priocge of feperience, which ives usa cern degree of assurance in the tery of ‘wee, ie alo in his cae seater degre of erence apne ef, ‘hich they endeavour to estab from which contadion there neces) ies» colrerpoie, and sural dstrction of eel wd stbory Told not believe such «story were told me by Cato, wa 4 proverbial saying Rome; een daring the hietme ofthe pbesopbical pation’ The ince ofa ac iewas lowed, might eal o great an uty "The lan pene, who scan to lice the fn claons concerning the effec of ros reasoned jos and it tral requted very song restiox) to ngage is sto to facts hat roe fom a sate of stare, wih whic eat “naequained and wich bore so lise analogy those even of which Beg ad conant and urform expeence. Though thy mere not conta t his eperence, they were not conformable ‘Burin order to eaceatethe probabil agans the restimony of wines let suppose, at the fat, which hey afr intend of Beng oly mare relly miracles; and suppose als, ta the eiony considered par arin {eel antouat oan eat prook tothe, these rool apn proc of ‘which the seongest must preva Bue sll wih a diminution of i fore in Proportion otha of ts antagonist ‘miracles a violation ofthe laws of nature; and a arm and wnaeable By DAVID HUME, experince ha ctblhed there ws dhe proof agit «mia, fom he ery atre of he fat, entice as aby argument fom experience can possibly Be [tagined. Why ile more ha probable that all men ust that ead eso, of tal eran ssapended in thea that fie cones Wood, andi oxi. fuhed by water uss it be, that hse vets ar found aseeable vo he ws ‘ature and thre i egived 2 violon of thee laws orn other Weds ¢ rita fo preven them? Nothing sexed a mirole i ever happen nce ‘common cout of atu Is nia that an sergly in god belt, Should dion sudden: because sch king of dst, toogh more unusal than {ny otber has yet beer eequently observed ro happen. Bue isa mace, ata {Eada sould come to i; besa hat ae never een observed nan age oF ‘oun. There must ceefore, bea ufo experience asia tery miaclous ‘Sent, there the event wodld pot met ter appelaton, Ad tes efors ‘experience amounts fe poof, there Is hte a det and fll proof em the ‘ature of the fact agin the ecetence of any rarely sor ean tok spot be Aesuoyed, orth mile rendered cele, bt by an opposite pool, wich is spre “The plain consequence i (adits a general maxim worthy of our eeton), “Thao tesimoay isla to ela ial the einny be of chs kin, sat aes would be more mirsesios than the fa, which fdeavours to eal abd even it dat case tere @ mutual dearest of Stgument and the superior only gre ar an trance tablet tht doper of fore, which remains fer deducing the inferi" When anyon log hat be Svs dead man stored tole, Limmednely consider with mel, wether be ‘Bore probable that thi person shoal either deceive o be desea, ott the fac, which be relates, sbould relly have happend. 1 weigh the coe nuace aginst he oes and according the sapere which ceove ‘By econ and always reject the greater mis If the faleshood of hist ‘oay would be more miraculous, than the event wich he rele then a8 not UU hen, can he pretend to command my ble or opinion. Inthe forgoing reasoning we have spose, that the tion apn which » ‘irc i founded, ey pony amoune to a ett rook and ta he fale: Hood ofthat westinony would bea rel peoigy But easy to she, that we ave Been a reat del too liberal ur concesion, and that there ever na miracle crear eased on 0 flan edeace Por fst thre otto be found nal tory, any mislead by a saffsent nomber of men, of soch nqestoned good-ese,edveaton, and Teesing, aso secure us again al dls in themalven of sh undo ntgiy a place them Beyond al suspicion of ay desig odesve shes of sch credit and reputaion in the ees of manking, a to havea great dea lose Ines of the beng detected san falchood and the sane ine, seing ‘es performed in sch public manne andinso celebrate a par of he wor, stro render the deecon unavoidable: Al which tcumsances sre eguste © ‘Greuss fall amurnece inthe estan of en Secondly. We may obser in haman rate a principle which, if ariciy 2 “OF MIRACLES* ‘xamined wll be found diminish extremely the asurance, which we igh, from human esinoay, hove, nay Lind of prodigy. Te taxi, by whic We ‘commonly condatoutelesin oa restooinge ha the jst of his we [oven experience, semble sos, of whic we ha; ha Wha we have fund to be ost usual always most probable and hat where theres an opposition ‘of argument, we ought ro give the peeteence to sch sare founded onthe [reste number of pat obervasons. Bot thou a proceeding By thi ral, we {ad elect any fact which i ununal and incredible an ondary egret in advaceng farce, the mind cberer not always the sre ru bie when ying i afirmed ery absurd and miaclou, i atber the more edly {lis ofeach «fc, upon account of that very ccuniance, which ough © {estoy als authority The pasion of suprise and wonder, arin from ar Ales beng an agreeable soto, gives a sensible endeny towards he bebe of ‘hone event en which tin derived: And the gowt a fy hat ven those wh ‘aonot ny this pasre mediately, norcan believe those miaclous et, ‘of which they afore, yet lover partake ofthe saiacion at second-hand ‘eby ebound an pce a pride and delight in exchang the admiration fer ‘With what gees ar the sclous acount of aval eee het eserptions of texan land monsters th reatone of wonder adrenaes, ‘trange men, and wacouth mannet? Bat the spc of slg on tf the love of wonder there un eo of coneon sn end Haman etony ote ‘Srmtances oss ll pretension ro authori. A religions maybe an ens ‘aad amapne he san wht fas no ety e may knows arate be fale an yet persevere at wit tbe best intentions nthe word for the soe of ‘rom 20 bey cane or eren where tis dln has noe plas, vy, ied by so stonga tempat, operates on him more powerfully tha on the ‘es of mankind in any eer cieamstanes and slater with egal ce. His auditors may ot have and commonly have ow sufi odgement anes his evidence: wha judgement bey have hey tenounce by Pasi, In ‘hese slime and mysterious sujac o they ware vers wg to empl ‘anion and » bested imagination deur he regula of ts operations hit "lair increases is npudence ands inpudene overpowers he cry loguence when att ighes pc, leer lide som for reason o efeeson st ede el cnet tetany othe action capa he wing bens apd subdue ter understanding Happy, ds pth seldom sas But whtea Tally ors Demnthenes cold sxcey cet ore» Reman or Abe ‘an audience, every Capac every tinea or stony tescer ca prior (fer the geetlay of mankind, and ia higher dee, by touching ck oss nd vulgar passion "The many instances of forged mics, and prophecies, and supernaual vent, which, sv all apex ve ether been served by conrary endene, of ‘which deter thenueles by their absurdiy, prove sufcently the ong pro Pest of mankind ro the extraordinary andthe marvellous and ough reo $a begs suspicion asia al rations of ths kind. This ou astral ay thinking ren wth regard othe most common and mos ered events For insane: There ao kand of report which ries So easy, and speeds So ky, ‘Special in couiry place and provincial cos the consi ate, Inromuch tat young persons of eqaleondton never sesh ther tice, ‘but che whole aighbourhood immediatly join dm together The please of ‘ein + plese of ews 20 seeing, of propagating and of being ts Sst ‘pores uf, spreads the iteligance, Aad ths 330 wellknown, tat no man of {tae gives steno thee report tle ad he cated by some eter ‘fidence: Do not the same pastons and ores stl swonge incline the geal Styofmanknd to beleve and epor eh he pete ehemece and sua, af eigios mutaces) “Thirdly leforms a rong presumption apis allsopemararal and miaclous telitions the they ate observed chy to bound smong ignore nd bar. ‘urna ort cited people as eer gen sda oan of the, that [ssepe wil be foand ro have rssived them rom gnoane an baracou soe {ben who tagsnited them with tha soilablesncion and authority, which vay ated eee opinions When we peruse theists ofall raion, ‘we are aprtosagineouteies waniportd iat soe new Wold; whe the ‘wholes of are doin, and every element perfor operon in 2 ifleene manne, om what does at presen. Bat evolations peste, ‘amin ad dest, ae never the eff of hone tral case, whch we per ‘ace. ropes omen, races, adgement quite obscure the ew natal ee, ‘har ae intermingled th ean Buta he Yoroet grow thier every page roporton sr we advancenearerthe enlightened apes we O08 eee a eet ‘othngsyseious or superar inthe case, bu that all proceeds fron tbe {ual propensity of maskind towards the marvellous, aed tha though this {balnation maya intervals recive a check fom rent a len ean never [edhoroughly extirpated from buna saute. tira adcoar eer aps, opon he pra of thee wenden fal historias, har such prodigious evens nave happen cm days. Bais ‘sothag ested, hop that men oad ein all apt You rst ave sen Instances enough of thar ty. You have yoursel heard many such arlous ‘elton stared, whch, bg tated with score yal she we ad jadsiou, fave at ast been abandoned even bythe ula. Be asared hat those renowned Tes which have spend sod fouhed to sch a montous beg, aot om ke beginnings bo ang soe n= more rope sl shot pst a ro es amos equal to thse which hey vl haste ply hat ae probe Alzadey whe though new got ‘ep, wa once so famous ay these of his postares i Pphlagoni, ‘hie s Luci tells the people were extenely ignorant ad sup abd Thais io evallow eve he prowetdelasin, Pople st dance, who seen ough co tia the mater a all worth engi have no opp af een Iter information The stores come mage to them by 2 anced cea Staees. Fook aeindostous in propagating the impor; while the wis and Tetoed ae cotete, is gota, to dare 8 absurd, witout iloring ‘hones ofthe particle fact, by which maybe din fated. Ad has the impostor above mentioned war enabled to proceed, fom hi grant Paphlaponins othe eli of votre, even among the Ceca pulosopers, ‘nd men of the mos eminent rank and dition in Rome: nay, coal nee theatenson of ha sage emperoc Marcas Aurel so far af ake hie test thesccer of milan expedon he dla prophecies “The advantages are so great, of staring an imposture among an igprant 26 “OF MIRACLES" eople, tat, eves chough the dtson shoul! be too gros to impose on the (energy of thm bie, though seldom, is someties te case) has ach ere hnnce for saeefing in emote contri han if he esr had bees Idina ty senowaed for art apd knowledge. The sstignoranand barbarous ‘of thee btharan cary the report sbrosd None ofthe countymen hve + Inge eomespondnce ot suficen ered and authori to contradict and beat down te dason, M's ination to he rare has fll opportu 60

    You might also like