religious language Flashcards
cognitive statements
aim to literally describe how the world is (are true or false)
non-cognitive statements
do not aim to literally describe how the world is (are not true or false)
who came up with the verification principle?
AJ Ayer
Ayer’s verification principle
a statement only has meaning if it is either an analytic truth or empirically verifiable
according to Ayer’s verificationism religious language is
meaningless
problem with Ayer’s verification principle
self defeating because the claim that “a statement is only meaningful if it is analytic or empirically verifiable” is neither an analytic truth or empirically verifiable
falsifiable statements
meaningful and capable of being true or false
unfalsifiable statements
meaningless and not capable of being true or false
a statement is falsifiable if
there is possible evidence that could count against the statement, otherwise it is meaningless
Anthony Flew: Invisible Gardener
analogy in attempt to show that religious language (in particular “God exists”) is unfalsifiable, and therefore meaningless
who came up with eschatological verification?
Hick
Hick’s eschatological verification
a statement that can be verified after death, or at the end of time
Hick’s parable of a celestial city
Hick says “God exists” is not necessarily meaningless, because it is eschatologically verifiable
who came up with the term Bliks
R.M Hare
R.M Hare Bliks
an unfalsifiable belief underpinning a worldview
