According to David Hume, polytheism results from natural events that are so full of variety, that we could not imagine them immediately ordered by one single, intelligent being.

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Opening considerations: when evaluating a statement about Hume’s view on polytheism, it helps to recall his general method for explaining religious belief as arising from empirical observations and human cognitive tendencies.
Option 1: True. The claim posits that polytheism emerges from encountering natural events whose variety makes it difficult to imagine them as orchestrated by a single intelligent being. In Hume’s thought, especially in his discussions of natural religion and the origins of religion, such diversity can lead humans to conceptualize multiple deities or a team of powerful beings rather than a single designer. This aligns with his broader suspicion that our understanding of causation and agency in the natural world can be projected into the divine realm in various ways when confronted with complex, multifaceted phenomena.
Option 2: False. If one argued this were false, one would need to insist that there is no cognitive route by which people could infer multiple divine agents from diverse natural events, or that human minds always compress complexity into a single intelligent cause. However, Hume emphasizes how human imagination tends to diversify explanations for complex experiences, potentially yielding polytheistic interpretations. Therefore, labeling the claim as false would run against his observations about how people form explanations of natural phenomena and divine agents from variety and complexity.
Additional nuance: beyond whether natural variety yields polytheism, Hume also critiques teleological arguments that seek a single designer, suggesting that even our inference to a single intelligent being is not guaranteed and can be influenced by limited or biased observations. This context supports the idea that polytheistic interpretations can arise as a natural consequence of encountering a broad spectrum of natural events, reinforcing why the statement is considered true in many analyses of Humean thought.
In summary, the reasoning behind the claim hinges on the cognitive and evidential pathways by which humans move from empirical variety to theological plurality, which is consistent with Hume's explorations of the origins of belief in multiple deities.

According to David Hume, polytheism results from natural events that are so full of variety, that we could not imagine them immediately ordered by one single, intelligent being.

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

What are the reasons that religion is a good solution for postmodernist relativism? Select MORE THAN ONE answers.

In a consumer society, many adults channel creativity into buying things

Economic stress and unpredictable times have resulted in a booming industry for self-help products

People born without creativity never can develop it

A product has a selling price of $20, a contribution margin ratio of 40% and fixed cost of $120,000. To make a profit of $30,000. The number of units that must be sold is: Type the number without $ and a comma. Eg: 20000

Which of the following statement regarding cost is correct:

Under the assumptions used in cost-volume-profit analysis, as the activity increases:

The CVP and break-even analysis are supported by a range of important assumptions. Which of the following is not an assumption of the CVP:

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler