The Verification Principle Flashcards
Who created the Verification Principle and why?
The Logical Positivists (Vienna Circle). To distinguish between meaningful and meaningless statements.
What are the 2 forms of religious language the Vienna Circle accept?
- Analytic (a priori) - something true by definition e.g. a triangle has 3 sides.
- Synthetic (a posteriori) - proved through evidence or observation e.g. Mr Davis in a bachelor - can be proved if he is wearing a ring or not.
Why do the logical positivists regard religious language as meaningless?
Because it cannot prove God to be true or false through observation/experiments. A logical positivist would argue it better not to discuss the concept of God at all. This is because both believers and atheists/agnostics make statements about God that can be proved neither true nor false.
Why is religious language meaningless to the L.P. based on interpretation and understanding?
Religious lang. considers things beyond human experience. This means religious lang. is equivocal (ambiguous and unclear) e.g. God as transcendent leads to other definitions of God. Religious lang. is therefore subjective and differs from person to person meaning it can’t be based on common ground. At the same time religious lang. in univocal (words have the same meaning) and so provides unclear statements. As a result religious lang. is meaningless because it offers different understandings and interpretations on the concept of God.
Why did A.J.Ayer develop the V.P?
He did so because he thought the V.P. was too rigid arguing it dismissed historical events as meaningless because we are unable to observe them through our own experience. Scientific laws therefore become meaningless such as gravity because we can’t observe all the world at once to prove gravity exists.
What are A.J.Ayers 2 forms of the V.P?
- Strong/direct - no doubt in the truth of a statement - verified through sense experience/observation. For certain the statement can be proved true/false.
- Weak/indirect - enough evidence to prove a statement true/false. Reasoning to suggest a statement is probably true. The statement can possibly be verified in the future e.g. the world will end in 2012 - this can be proven after 2012 has passed.
Why does A.J.Ayer say religious lang. is meaningless?
Because statements about God can’t be directly/indirectly verified.
How is cognitive language the only meaningful language?
Because we know the statement is true or false based on the conditions in which we talk about the statement. Talk of God can’t be verified through senses or scientific observation/evidence so we can’t prove religious lang. to be true/false and so it becomes meaningless.
Cognitive means relating to the mental process involved in knowing, learning, and understanding things/concerned with the act or process of knowing, perceiving.
