David Hume on the Deductive Proofs of the Divine Existence in the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61989592%3A15210%2F22%3A73612440" target="_blank" >RIV/61989592:15210/22:73612440 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://aither.upol.cz/pdfs/ath/2021/02/02.pdf" target="_blank" >https://aither.upol.cz/pdfs/ath/2021/02/02.pdf</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5507/aither.2022.002" target="_blank" >10.5507/aither.2022.002</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

David Hume on the Deductive Proofs of the Divine Existence in the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion

Original language description

The article aims at critically exploring David Hume’s analysis of the divine being with respect to the widely accepted cosmological argument. The Part IX of Hume’s work in the Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion reflects the formulation of the cosmological argument in the form of a deductive proof through the voice of a character named Demea. The author then counters Demea’s version of this argument through the voice of his next important character named Cleanthes. Before probing directly into Hume’s deductive argument, I have reviewed St. Thomas Aquinas’ cosmological proof at the back-ground which acted as a source for Hume’s cosmological argument. In this context, I have initially reconstructed Aquinas’ ‘Third Way’ in particular from his book, Summa theologiae, as the ‘Third Way’ corresponds to Demea’s version of the cosmological argument. Aquinas’ version of the cosmological argument was later reformulated by Samuel Clarke and Hume directly challenges Clarke’s version of the cosmological argument. Accordingly, I have reconstructed the first two sections of Clarke’s arguments from his book, A Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God. Finally, I have examined Hume’s version of the cosmological argument and his counter arguments in detail and then rebuilt them in the form of deductive logic. The research brings into limelight some interesting commonalities and contrasts between the arguments of Aquinas, Demea and Cleanthes which I have included in the concluding part of this paper before closing the whole discussion.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_SC - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the SCOPUS database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

60301 - Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology

Project

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Continuities

S - Specificky vyzkum na vysokych skolach

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

AITHÉR

ISSN

1803-7860

e-ISSN

1803-7860

Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

26

Country of publishing house

CZ - CZECH REPUBLIC

Number of pages

18

Pages from-to

42-59

UT code for WoS article

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EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85130099694