Religious language

Question 1

Explain the cognitivist view on religious language

Answer 1

• Aim to literally describe how the world is
• Are true or false

(ontological, cosmological, teleological, problem of evil)

Question 2

Explain the non-cognitivist view on religious language

Answer 2

• Do not aim to literally describe how the world is
• Are not true or false

Question 3

Explain the view of logical positivists on religious language

Answer 3

• The Vienna Circle was a group of philosophers who believed that statements are meaningless unless they can be proven through empirical evidence (our senses).
• Scientific knowledge is the only valid form of knowledge

Question 4

Outline the verification principle

Answer 4

A philosophical idea introduced by the A. Y. Ayer (a logical positivist) in the early 20th century.

• A statement is meaningful only of it can be verified or confirmed through empirical evidence.

Question 5

Explain the falsification principle

Answer 5

A philosophical idea introduced by Karl Popper in the 20th century.

• A statement is only meaningful if it can be falsified or disproved through empirical evidence

Question 6

Distinguish between the strong and weak verification principle

Answer 6

Strong verification principle
- A statement has to be verifialbe in reality

Weak verification principle
- A statement has to be verifiable in principle

Question 7

Outline criticisms of the verification principle

Answer 7

• It does not allow for statements about history or science as they could be wrong or re-evaluated
• It fails its own test (the statement itself cannot be verified through empirical evidence)

Question 8

Explain Anthony Flew´s parable of the invisible gardener

Answer 8

Two explorer in the jungle discover a garden. One states that there must be a gardener and the other one disagrees.
The believer does not change his opinion even though no method can prove the existence of the gardener.
This illustrates that theists will not change their opinion about God´s existence even though there is no evidence supporting their beliefs.

Question 9

Explain Hare´s idea of Blicks and his criticism of the falsification principle (of Flew)

Answer 9

• Blicks are people´s interpretations of the world and have meaning to the individual.
• They are non-cognitive statements which cannot be prove right or wrong
• The individual will also not change their mind even though there might be contradicting evidence
• Blicks allow for religious statements because they refer to them as individual beliefs and not collective truths.

Question 10

Outline Hick´s eschatological verification

Answer 10

He disagreed with the Logical Positivists and stated that religious beliefs can be meaningful even without empirical evidence.

• A belief in God can be verified when reaching the after-life
• The example of the Celestial City (the answer is around the next corner)

The eschatological verification can make religious language compatible with logical positivism

Question 11

Explain issues regarding Hick´s eschatological verification

Answer 11

• It can work with the weak verification principle as Hick´s idea can only be proven in principle and not in practice
• It only works if we retain our consciousness after death

Question 12

Outline Basil Mitchell´s response to Flew (the partisan)

Answer 12

• He offers the Parable of the Partisan to illustrate non-propositional faith - a trust in God which may be held even when evidence or experience points to the contrary.

The stranger urges the Partisan to have faith in him, even if he is seen to be acting against Partisan interests. The Partisan is committed to a belief in the stranger’s integrity, but his friends think he is a fool to do so. The original encounter with the stranger gives the Partisan sufficient confidence to hold onto his faith in him even when there is evidence to the contrary.