Verification

Question 1

Why is religious language meaningless

Answer 1

Because it is contradictiory and cant be verified it cant give us true knowledge of God

Question 2

Cognitive language

Answer 2

Language based on factual observation which can be emperically tested- gives us knowledge of something even if its false

Question 3

Non cognitive language

Answer 3

Non factual, non testable statements-meant to be symbolic

Question 4

Nature of religious language according to theists

Answer 4

Cognitive, factual statements
-Analytic-true by definition

Question 5

Analytic language

Answer 5

Language that is true by definition of the world and cant be contradicted- a circle is round

Question 6

Synthetic language

Answer 6

Statements that need to be proven true or false-arent true by definition-need emperically testing to be meaningful

Question 7

Logical positivists

Answer 7

Movement in the 1920s in the vienna circle, suggest religious language is meaningless as they are generally synthetic and non cognitive and cannot be verified.

Question 8

Logical positvists/verification principle

Answer 8

Only statements that are logically true (analytic/mathematical) or can be emperically verified have meaning, if a statement cant be emperically verified it is meaningless

Question 9

Weakness of logical positivism

Answer 9

Historical and scientific statements become meaningless-e.g-battle of waterloo cant be emperically proven-electromagnetic waves cant be emperically observed or verified-gravity-undermines science and history and means we cant gain meaningful knowledge of many things.