Religious Language Flashcards
Define ‘realist’
Words have objective meanings
Define ‘anti-realist’
Words have subjective meanings
Who developed the verification principle?
AJ Ayer
Who developed the falsification principle?
Anthony Flew
What is the verification principle?
A statement is either analytic, synthetic or meaningful.
What is the quote from Keith Ward that states that just because we cant verify God it doesn’t mean he is unverifiable.
“If I were God I could verify my own existence”
Who is the philosopher that spoke of eschatological verification
John Hick
What is Eschatological Verification?
Statements, such as “God exists” can be verified at the end of time.
What parable did Hick use to explain eschatological verification
The Parable of the Celestial City
What is a problem with eschatological verification?
If heaven doesn’t exist in reality it cannot be verified.
What is Waismann’s criticism of the VP?
It is itself a meaningless statement
What is Karl Poppers criticism of the VP?
We cannot scientifically verify everything
What is Popper’s quote that is the foundation of the falsification principle?
“Science is more concerned with falsification of hypothesis than with the verification”
What is the Falsification Principle?
For a statement to be meaningful it must be subject to being false.
What is the Parable, developed by John Wisdom, used by Flew to illustrate the Falsification Principle?
The Parable of The Gardener
Tell the Parable of the Gardener
Two explorers come across a clearing. In the jungle. It contains a mixture of weeds and flowers. One claims that there must be a Gardener who comes to tend. The clearing, the other denies it. They sit and wait, but no Gardener appears. They continue to detect him to no avail. The one explorer continues to claim that there is an invisible, intangible, inaudible and undetectable gardener.
What does Flew claim that believers allow their definition of God to die of? (quote)
“death by a thousand qualifications”
What religious language concept did RM Hare propose?
Bliks
What is the name of RM Hare’s Parable?
The Parable of the Lunatic
Tell the Parable of the Lunatic.
A student believes that his teachers are trying to kill him. Despite everyone trying to reassure him that they are not, and him not having any empirical evidence his is steadfast in his belief.
Why can’t a blik be falsified?
They are not rational.
Does Hare believe religious language is meaningful or meaningless?
Meaningful to those who hold such bliks
Who criticised Hare’s Bliks?
Basil Mitchell
What Parable does Basil Mitchell develop?
The Parable of the Freedom Fighter
What does Basil Mitchell claim about religious bliks?
They are grounded on valid reasoning and therefore meaningful
What example does Swinburne give for meaningful, falsifiable statements
Toys in a cupboard that come alive at night
What is Wittgenstein’s quote that shows he is more concerned with the purpose of language rather than its meaning?
“Don’t asks for the meaning, ask for the use”
Explain Wittgenstein’s Language Games concerning God
Words are only useful it you understand the purpose of the word. Therefore for a group of Christians the word ‘God’ is coherent and therefore meaningful for them
Does Wittgenstein beleive that ‘God’ is a meaningful concept for atheists?
Yes.
To atheists the term God means something that does not exists. Despite it’s non-existence it is still a meaningful term.
What does DZ Phillips believe that statements such as ‘God exists’ express?
Belief
Name 3 criticisms of Wittgenstein’s Language Games
1 - They fail to understand what believers mean by the word God
2 - They unfairly rule out God’s existence
3 - Their views don’t allow for atheist to theist conversions, when we know that such conversions happen
Who is the main proponent of the use of symbol?
Paul Tillich
What is the difference between a sign and a symbol, for Tillich?
A sign indicates something whereas a symbol ‘participates’ in it.
What 4 things do symbols do according to Tillich?
- They point to something beyond themselves
- They participate in that to which they point to
- They open up levels of reality which are usually closed to us
- They open up dimensions of the soul
Give 3 examples of Christian symbols.
The Cross, The Crucifix, The Lamb of God
What does Randall claim that Religious Language does?
Inspires, Clarifies and expresses emotion.
ICE
What does Randall call God? (quote)
“A ripple of emotion”
What are the criticisms of symbol from Hick, Alston and Edwards?
- John Hick criticised Tillich’s idea of participating, calling it unclear - he argued that there is little different between a symbol and a sign
- William Alston argues that symbols are meaningless because we don’t know whether they’re true or not
- Paul Edwards argues that symbols are meaningless because they cannot be verified or falsified thanks to their subjective nature:
Who is the main proponent of analogy
St Aquinas
What is univocal language?
Give an example
Language that means the same thing in both cases.
Eg. green grass, green hat
Why is it inappropriate to use univocal language when speaking of God?
Finite language limits a transcendent, infinite God.
What is equivocal language?
Give an example
Language that has subjective meanings
E.g. fruit bat, cricket bat
Why is it inappropriate to use equivocal language when speaking of God?
Equivocal language makes no connection between contexts.
What is analogical language?
Give an example.
A word in one context is pointed to by its meaning in another so that a comparison can be made
E.g a fountain is a pump, a heart is a pump.
What is analogy of attribution? Give an example
There is a causal link between the two ideas.
God is ‘living’ as he causes life
What is analogy of proportion? Give an example
There is a proportionate link between two ideas.
A child ‘loves’ his father but not to the same degree as God ‘loves’ humankind.
What does Ian Ramsey say about analogy?
We need to qualify models with words such as ‘infinitely’ or ‘eternally’ when talking about God
Give 3 criticisms of analogy.
- Some argue that by using analogy we lose the meaning and purpose behind what we are trying to communicate - so perhaps it is meaningless as opposed to meaningful
- St. Paul argued that we cannot accurately express God - even through analogy - until we ‘see’ him
- William Blackstone argues that Thomistic analogy is unhelpful as we have to translate the analogical language into univocal language before it can mean anything.
Who first developed the Via Negativa?
Pseudo-Dionysius
What is another name for the Via Negativa?
The apophatic way
What is the via negativa?
As we cannot say what God is we should only say what God is not
What quote did Pseudo-Dionysius say to express that we cannot say what God is like?
“God is beyond assertion”
What example did Maimonides use to explain the via negativa
A ship
How did Brain Davies criticise the via negativa?
He argued by eliminating negatives we have no idea whether what remains is God or not
What are 4 strengths of the via negativa?
- It isn’t misleading, whereas positive language may be
- It avoids being too anthropomorphic (human-based) and focuses more on a transcendent God
- It applies to every culture in every time, unlike symbols and analogies
- It doesn’t limit God, and allows for what William James called the ‘mystical approach’
Why did CS Evans agree with the via negativa?
He said language should convey the ‘numinious’ not disguise it.
What is a criticism of Maimonides’ ship example?
It compares God to an inanimate object rooted in human understanding
Give 4 criticisms of the via negativa.
- How can we describe what God isn’t if we have no idea of what he is?
- How can we make judgements of something we haven’t experienced?
- Negative statements aren’t helpful or useful in describing things
- For religious believers, via negativa contradicts certain statements in holy scripture that describe God positively
What does Macquarrie say that a myth is.
A fictional story that conveys an objective truth
What is a problem with Macquarrie’s understanding of a myth?
Who decides what the truths are? Surely people will read myths differently and take different messages from them?
What does Durkheim say that a myth is.
A construct of society that reflect the values of society and tell people how they should behave.
What does Bultmann say about Jesus walking on water?
Once demythologised, it has the meaning that God will helping you through difficult times.
What does Bergson say about myths?
They are defence reactions against the fear of death, although meaningless are purposeful are they help people overcome the fear death.
They are defence reactions against the fear of death, although meaningless are purposeful are they help people overcome the fear death.
- Macquarrie argues for the existential response - if we understand myths in relation to our own existence, they become meaningful
- Durkheim argues that myths embody society’s beliefs and values
- Bergson argues that myths help us overcome fears
- Stories are meaningful and memorable - arguably an effective way of conveying truth
Give 6 weaknesses of myths.
- Meanings of myths may be lost in time
- Some myths are not compatible with scientific truths
- How do we know which stories are myths and which stories are real?
- People may interpret myths differently
- Some would argue that if there is a truth to be expressed, it should be expressed directly and not through stories
- Many believers take scripture literally, which is contradictory to the belief in myths
What does Richard Dawkins say about myths?
Myths (like the story of hell) can be taken literally, especially by children, and can be damaging. He calls this ‘cosmic child abuse’
