Anothony Flew: Falsification Principle

Question 1

Anthony flew goes further than popper who was inspired by him , to say what about any statements ?

Answer 1

If statements is not falsifiable it’s unscientific and meaningless if it fails the verification principle

Question 2

Antony flew: falsification Principle

Why does he say that the verification principle and falsification principle aim to do the same thing but opposite

Answer 2

falsification principle is that statement is factually significant ONLY if there is some form of evidence which could falsify it (what would prove it to be incorrect)

And verification wants confirmation and evidence - empirically and tautology

Question 3

Antony flew: falsification Principle
What does he say about religious language and people?

Answer 3

But religious people are not ready to falsify their belief in God to be incorrect
“God us loving and exists” as they always qualify belief in God than evidence against God so ** religious language is meaningless to flew **

Question 4

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What does flew say about theist

Answer 4

Qualify not falsify

Question 5

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What does he state about religious language ?

Answer 5

Meaningless and lead to the death of God by a thousand qualifications

Question 6

Antony flew: falsification Principle

Why does religious language lead to the death of God by a thousand qualifications ?

Answer 6

Because they have chopped and changed definition and understanding of God so many times that you might as well not believe in God

Question 7

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What example does flew use for death of God by a thousand qualifications?

Answer 7

Example of the invisible gardener

Question 8

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What is this invisible garderer story

Answer 8

• two explorers find a garden
• one explorer believe there is a gardener and the other doesn’t
• use a dog to find the gardener but there ain’t one

Question 9

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What does the believe say about gardener

Answer 9

That the gardener exists but the story has changed as It must be invisible gardener that works in secret

Question 10

Antony flew: falsification Principle

Instead of believers accept their is no Gardner what do they do instead ?

Answer 10

Believers instead qualify what they mean by gardener and they change their definition and understanding e.g gardener cannot be seem so must be invisible and cannot be touched so intangable

Question 11

Antony flew: falsification Principle

By the end what is there of the Gardner ?

Answer 11

There is nothing left of the original gardener so assertion killed by inches as there is no connection to the original belief as they have modified and qualified so much so no point of believing as now belief in death of God/gardener by a thousand qualifications

Question 12

Antony flew: falsification Principle

Why does he say the the gardener existence dies a thousand death of qualifications

Answer 12

Because every time he fails to be detected believe qualifies what is meant by the Gardner and just modify and qualify instead of accepting he is not real or they’re wrong as rhere is no empirical evidence of Garderner/God

Question 13

Antony flew: falsification Principle

What is flews 3 overall arguments ?

Answer 13

• That religious believers just like the parable of the gardener will allow nothing to falsify their belief that there is a God who loves/looks after the world
• statements about God are meaningless as do not admit that there is evidence to falsify
• claims of God are unscientific

Question 14

Antony flew: falsification Principle
How does religious statements contrast with scientist ones

Answer 14

• Nothing can tell them to falsify their belief in God so they always qualify so meaningless by saying God exist outside universe and God gave us free will
  WHERAS
• scientists establish their hypothesis and test in empirically and do not keep on changing it to be correct so it meaningful and falsifiable

Question 15

Antony flew: falsification Principle

Another example by flew that cannot be falsified

Answer 15

“God loves his children”

A child is dying of throat cancer and father frantically looking for help but Heavenly Father God shows no concern but rather than falsify believers qualify by saying “we don’t understand Gods love or God love is not merely human love “

Question 16

What are the strengths of falsification principle

Answer 16

• falsification is in accordance to science, and does not restrict science
• perfect to test if belief is reality or not as if a person seems holds on to belief with just faith and No reason. You can ask what would change their mind and anyone with rational belief will be Able to answer

Question 17

Weakness of the verification principle ?

Answer 17

• falsification profile cannot be falsified itself so meaningless
• religious belief is actually falsifiable so wrong to dismiss because no scientific as meaningless. Paul stated “if Christ has no been raised your faith is pointless” so flew incorrect to say religious Lang is false
• fideism: religious beliefs is about faith alone so religious statements are meaningful to those with faith even if cannot be falsified