Verification And Falsifcation Flashcards
What 2 things influenced verifcatuonism
Empirism -
Focus on language - philosophical problems arise when language goes on holiday —— Wittgenstein
What was the Vienna circle
Group of philosophers who met in 1920’s and 1930’s
Argued some statements were meaningful and some not.
To identify difference- use verification principle
What is verification principle
A statement is only meandidym if it is able to be verified by actual experience
Problem with original verification principle
Historical statements
Statements about art or beauty can’t be said to be verified
What’s is A.J. Ayers verificationism
How is it differnt
Argues for a statement to be meaningful it must either a tautology something try by definition ( a priori) or verifiable by principle ( a posteriori)
Principle makes it differ we says we don’t have to price something by direct observation but merely say how it would be possible to verify
2 strengths of Ayer
Widens meaningful to historical claims etc
Softened demand for absolute verification - weak accepted if can be shown beyond reasonable doubt
3 weaknesses
Not right to rule out all religious statements - Swinburne some are verifiable true- resurrection
Fails own test as it is neither tautology nor verifiable
HICK
Hick and eschatological verification
Rejects Ayer
Supports verification but says religious claims are verifiable
Parable of 2 travellers !!! Argue about it leads to city or road just ends! At the end one is provided right !!
At the end of all things it will be possible to verify Gods existence
What is the falsification principle
Principle that a statement is a genuine scientific assertion if it is possible to say it could be disproved empirically
Karl Popper and falsification
Devised theory as a test for what is science and is pseudo science ( pretending to be science)
Argues when scientists make a claim they invite others to disprove - uses this to criticise Freud
If it’s not subject to test then not real science
Flew and falsification
religious claims aren’t really claims as can’t be tested
RM HARE on falsification
Lunatic analogy
Says we have basic beliefs called bliks - religious belief and can’t be tested
Wittgenstein and language games
Meanings of words are not fixed as it they have different meanings in differnt fruits
Meaning of a word is it’s use
Strengths of Wittgenstein
2
Recognised scientific and religious need to be treated differnt Ly
Recognised meaning is not fixed
2 weaknesses of Wittgenstein
He over analyses words
Doesn’t help resolve what is true or false and broadens debate
Only meangifuk to people in system
