Language as non-cognitive and symbolic Flashcards
What are John Randall’s 2 differences between a sign and a symbol?
- Sign represents another thing. Symbol represents itself
- Sign produces same response for what it stands for for everyone. Symbol provokes a unique response in everyone
What is an example of Randall’s symbol?
Jesus’ crucifix make evoke sorrow or repentance etc
What did John Randall believe about symbolic language?
All religious language is MYTHICAL and religious beliefs are SYMBOLIC.
Religious and scientific language need to be analysed differently.
What does Randall believe the purpose of religious language is?
Provides insight into life (like music/art etc) and our meaning in the world instead of facts the world.
What philosophical position did Randall hold?
The Coherence Theory of Truth
Anti-realism
What is the Coherence Theory of Truth?
Religious statements don’t need to be empirically verifiable.
They are true depending on how much sense they make in context of the religion.
What were Randall’s 4 functions of symbols?
Motivation, Social, Communication, Clarification & Disclosure
What is Motivation?
Symbols stir emotion and inspire people to act.
What is Social?
Symbols encourage cooperation.
Symbols in worship give shared religious identities and values that BIND COMMUNITIES.
What is Communication?
Symbols communicate asects of an experience that are otherwise inexpressible.
Non-cogntive, emotional symbols that don’t provide factual knowldge about the world
Clarification and Disclosure
Insight into the divine, like how art gives us an understanding of the world.
Clarify understanding of the divine.
Without symbols, religious life can’t be lived.
What are Paul Tillich’s 2 differences between a sign and a symbol?
- A sign can be replaces. A symbol cannot be replaced with another word or object
- A sign doesn’t need a relationship with it’s message. A symbol it inextricably linked with it’s message.
What is an example of Tillich’s symbol?
A flag becomes part of the power of the nation it stand for and affects behaviour
What did Tillich criticise Logical Positivism for?
Treating all words as signs.
What did Tillich believe the purpose of symbols were?
Liturgical- a form of worship.
To express out ‘ultimate concern’ of the holy and numinous, which can only be expressed symbolically.
What were Tillich’s first three characteristics of symbols?
- Symbols point themselves to something else.
- Symbols participate in that to which they point (participates in the holy)
- Open up levels of reality that are otherwise hidden.
What were Tillich’s last three characteristics of symbols?
- Unlocks dimensions in our soul that correspond to the levels of reality (engages w/ soul of believer so they have a deeper understanding of faith)
- Cannot be manufactures
- Symbols can die
What is a challenge of symbolic language?
(logical positivism)
Statements are non-cognitive because they don’t tell us anything about the empirically understandable
Can’t be falsified or verified and so is meaningless.
How does PAUL EDWARDS criticise symbolic language?
Nothing said about God is meaningful because statements don’t tell us any real knowledge about God or mean anything.
What is another criticism of symbolic language? (interpretation)
Meanings of symbols are SUBJECTIVE so can be MISUNDERSTOOD.
What is another criticism of symbolic language? (over time)
Meaning of symbols changes over time like the swastika.
We don’t always know the meaning of a symbol, making it meaningless.
Gives us no spiritual insight if it’s always changing.
What are some strengths of symbolic language? (non-cognitive)
The fact that it’s non-cognitive means we get INTUITIVE insight into truth of religion.
What is another strength of symbolic language?
Gives insight into human’s ULTIMATE CONCERN and provides insight into world in a way scientific language cannot.
What is another strength of symbolic language?
Allows a non-believer to understand their own meaning from a symbol. and connect to it.
It’s not language that directly needs to be understood.
