Ch. 6 : Logical Positivism

Question 1

Logical postivism

Answer 1

WIttgenstein and the Vienna Circle 20th cenury

Main aim is to provide a solid foundation for cience, freeing it from metaphysical speculation.
They support the idea that scientific statements fall into two categories: logical and mathematicals statements on one side and factual statemens on the other.

Question 2

Logical statements

Answer 2

entirely dependent on their own formal structure and the meaning of the terms used in them, they donlt say anything about the world. They are a priori

“All bachelors are unmarried”
“Tomorrow the sun will shine or it will not”

These statements will remain true no matter all circumstances

Question 3

Factual statements

Answer 3

They are synthetic a posteriori, their truth can only be established through sensory experience.

“there are 30 people in this room”

Question 4

How do logical positivists consider statements that are not factual or logical?

Answer 4

unscientific

Question 5

Verification and demarcation

Answer 5

a statement S has meaning if one knows what one has to do to find out whether the statements in fact mirror reality.

The meaning of a statement is determined by the method of Verification, Statements which are intended as starements about reality are only factually meaningul when they can be empiracally verified. Verification therefore serves as a criterion of cognitive significance, drawing the line between science and pseudoscience.

Question 6

protocol sentences

Answer 6

all scientific statements must refer to sense data, described in basic sentences referred to as protocol sentences.

sense data is an experience, that can’t be debated for example ‘I have a toothache’

eg. “I see a blue book now”

Question 7

what’s the problem with phenomelanism (sense data and protocol sentences) ?

Answer 7

how do we know that our experiences are the same? we are not sure they match, i could tell you about my toothache but we wouldn’t be sure you know how it feels for me as it does for you

Question 8

Physicalism

Answer 8

seeks to disregard subjectivity. Only that which can be seen by our bodily eyes is taken into consideration, therefore nothing that could be perceived differently by someone else.
Moreover we can’t compare sentences to reality but only coordinate them and compare them to other statements, as circumstances in reality can be deceiving.

Question 9

What’s Physicalism’s weakness?

Answer 9

it gives up on certainty and truth, making it impossible to draw a distinction between science and pseudo-science

Question 10

What is the name of the Vienna Circle Manifesto?

Answer 10

The Scientific World-Conception

Question 11

Which 3 Wittgenstein enets does the Vienna circle embrace?

Answer 11

1. Distinction between formal and factuals statements
2. Verification Method
3. The concept that philosophy as a logical analysis of scientific language, therefore not answering questions about the world but more so about the language used by science in order to guarantee logic and the use of clear expressions, therefore avoiding misunderstanding.

Question 12

Vienna Circle division

Answer 12

Physicalism (Neurath and Carnap) vs. Phenomenalism (Wittgenstein)

Question 13

What does it mean to say that the movement of the Vienna circle is REDUCTIONIST?

Answer 13

it seeks to reduce methodology, in the sense that it wants to unify the sciences.