Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-25T10:27:18.143Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Overall and Larmer on Miracles as Evidence for the Existence of God

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2014

FRANK JANKUNIS
FRANK JANKUNIS*
Affiliation:
University of Calgary
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Would the occurrence of a miracle be evidence for or against the existence of God? Christine Overall and Robert Larmer have a longstanding debate over this question. In this paper, I argue that their respective positive accounts are not quite right and some important criticisms each levies against the other fail. I then move the debate forward by identifying and synthesizing what is correct in their respective accounts.

Si un miracle se produisait, cela serait-il une preuve de l’existence de Dieu ou, au contraire, de son inexistence? Christine Overall et Robert Larmer débattent de cette question depuis plusieurs années. Dans cet article, je soutiens que leurs comptes rendus positifs des positions de l’autre ne sont pas tout à fait satisfaisants. Je soutiens également que certaines critiques importantes qu’ils formulent l’un contre l’autre ratent la cible. Je propose ensuite de faire avancer le débat en identifiant et en synthétisant ce qui est correct dans leurs comptes rendus respectifs.

Type
Intervention: Overall and Larmer on Miracles as Evidence for the Existence of God
Information
Dialogue: Canadian Philosophical Review / Revue canadienne de philosophie , Volume 53 , Issue 4 , December 2014 , pp. 585 - 599
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Philosophical Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Basinger, David and Randall, 1986 Philosophy and Miracle: The Contemporary Debate. Ontario: Edwin Mellen Press.Google Scholar
Chapman, Demian D., Shivji, Mahmood S., Louis, Ed, Sommer, Julie, Fletcher, Hugh, and Prodӧhl, Paulo A.2007“Virgin birth in a hammerhead shark.” Biology Letters, vol. 3, pp. 425–427.Google Scholar
Clarke, Steve 1997“When to Believe in Miracles.” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 1, pp. 95–101.Google Scholar
Dennett, Daniel 1995 Darwin’s Dangerous Idea. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.Google Scholar
Holland, R. F.1965“The Miraculous.” American Philosophical Quarterly, vol. 2, no.1, pp. 43–51.Google Scholar
Holy Bible: NRSV. Numbers 16: 31–35. 2007 New York: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Hume, David 2007[1777] Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding. Edited by Millican, Peter. UK: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Larmer, Robert A. H.1988 Water into Wine?. McGill: Queen’s UP.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larmer, Robert A. H.1996 Questions of Miracle. McGill: Queen’s UP.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larmer, Robert A. H.1999“Miracles as evidence for God.” In God and Argument. Edited by Sweet, William. University of Ottawa Press.Google Scholar
Larmer, Robert A. H.2003“Miracles, Evidence, and God.” Dialogue, vol. 42, pp. 107–122.Google Scholar
Larmer, Robert A. H.2004“Miracles and Overall: An apology for atheism?” Dialogue, vol. 43, pp. 555–568.Google Scholar
Lovgren, Stefan 2007“Hammerhead shark gave ‘virgin birth’ in Omaha zoo.” National Geographic News. May 24, 2007. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/05/070524-shark-virgin.html.Google Scholar
Overall, Christine 1985“Miracles As Evidence Against The Existence of God.” Southern Journal of Philosophy, vol. 23, pp. 347–353.Google Scholar
Overall, Christine 1997“Miracles and God: A Reply to Robert A. H. Larmer.” Dialogue, vol. 36, pp. 741–752.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overall, Christine 2003“Miracles and Larmer.” Dialogue, vol. 42, pp. 123–135.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Overall, Christine 2006“Miracles, Evidence, Evil, and God: A Twenty-Year Debate.” Dialogue, vol. 45, pp. 355–366.Google Scholar
Rowe, William 1978 Philosophy of Religion: an introduction. Belmont: Wadsworth Pub. Co.Google Scholar
Swinburne, Richard 1970 The Concept of Miracle. Macmillan: St Martin’s Press.Google Scholar