Logical positivism

Question 1

The Vienna Circle

Answer 1

Group of scholars that started logical positivism. Didn’t agree w metaphysics

Question 2

Logical positivism

Answer 2

Positivism refers to assumption that scientific knowledge is true knowledge

Logical refers to preoccupation w language and meaning.

Question 3

Manifesto

Answer 3

1. Truth divided into emperical and logical
2. Empirical make claims about world and verified through observation/experiment
3. Logical are based on deductive logic and influenced by linguistic conventions
4. Statements that don’t fall in either are meaningless

Question 4

Verificationism

Answer 4

Only meaningful if verified as true or false. Demarcation criterion of science. Deductive doesn’t generate new knowledge

Question 5

Problems w verificationism

Answer 5

Logically impossible: Induction can’t be verified bc you’d need infinity of observation (all swans are white)

Non-observable variables: Can’t be directly perceived. only solved if expressed in quantity

Changes in verifiability: Through new methods, things become observable, or mistakes, verified things change.

Question 6

Sense data

Answer 6

Experiences gained through perception, LP assumed these are neutral so serve as foundation for science. Verification is comparing sense data to observation sentences