Thursday, 8 September 2016

vaeschanan - Are Devarim 4:32-33 an argument from ignorance? If so, why are they often used as a rational basis that Judaism is true?


I have read/heard myriad Rabbis1 cite Devarim 4:32-33:



הֲשָׁמַע עָם קוֹל אֱלֹהִים מְדַבֵּר מִתּוֹךְ־הָאֵשׁ
כַּאֲשֶׁר־שָׁמַעְתָּ אַתָּה וַיֶּחִי׃


Has any people heard the voice of God speaking out of a fire, as you have, and survived?



as a rational basis for Judaism's veracity. Rephrasing the verses, their argument goes something like this:




Premise 1: A national revelation myth is a most compelling way to found a religion


Premise 2: If so, we should find many religions throughout history based on national revelation


Premise 3: But, Judaism is the only religion based on national revelation


Conclusion: Judaism cannot have been fabricated


TLDR; Judaism is true; because, it is the only religion based on national revelation, which is the best way to found a religion.



I believe this is what's commonly referred to as the "Kuzari Principle/Argument".


My question is twofold:


1) This sounds to me like an argument from ignorance, which both our sources ("לא ראינו אינה ראיה") and philosophy reject. Is this indeed an argument from ignorance?


2) If so, why do these verses (and said Rabbis) appeal to such a fallacious argument?





1. R' Lawrence Kelemen, R' Dovid Gottlieb, R' Zamir Cohen, R' Jonathan Sacks, R' Tovia Singer, and more.




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