Verification Principle

Question 1

What is the key idea of the verification principle

Answer 1

a statement is only meaningful if it can be empirically proven

Question 2

where did the verification principle stem from?

hint 2 things

Answer 2

The movement known as logical positivism

- and a group of philosophers from the 1920’s known as the Vienna Circle

Question 3

what did the members of the Vienna Circle want to do? and why?

Answer 3

Remould philosophy as they were depressed by the state of it

Question 4

What did the members of the Vienna Circle felt they had to give philosophy?

Answer 4

A new job

Question 5

The members of the Vienna Circle apply to language and what did they argue?

Answer 5

Maths and science

- they argued that, like knowledge, language had to be based on experience

Question 6

For a statement to be considered meaningful it had to be verified by?

Answer 6

Our sense experiences
- touch, taste, hearing or sight
(the basis of empirical testing)

Question 7

Empirical testing was key to understanding what?

Answer 7

Is/ is not meaningful = logical positivism

Question 8

Who attempted to set down rules by which language can be judged to see whether or not it really means anything at all?

Answer 8

Ayer

Question 9

What was the main argument for logical positivism

Answer 9

verifiability theory of meaning

Question 10

Statements can be divided into what?

Answer 10

two types

• analytical statements
• synthetic statements

Question 11

What are analytical statements

Answer 11

propositions which define meanings of words

Question 12

What don’t you need to do with analytical statements and why?

Answer 12

Check whether they’re true

because they give information about what words mean (dictionary)

Question 13

These statements are true or false depending on what?

Answer 13

Whether the words in the statements actually mean what is suggested

Question 14

What do synthetic statements give?

Answer 14

information about reality, rather than just defining our use of language

Question 15

Example of a synthetic statement?

Answer 15

it is raining today

Question 16

The logical positivism’s decided that in order for a synthetic statement to be qualified as meaningful, they had to be what?

Answer 16

verifiable using empirical evidence

Question 17

what do the VP say that if a statement is neither analytical nor empirically verifiable, it say’s what?

Answer 17

Nothing about reality and is meaningless

Question 18

What did Hume say

Answer 18

That if a statement did not contain any abstract reasoning (maths) or any experimental reasoning, then it said nothing at all

Question 19

what do statement have to be capable of being to find out whether or not they’re true

Answer 19

Tested

Question 20

What did the Vienna Circle claim religious statements were meaningless on the basis on?

Answer 20

they do not satisfy any of this criteria, because religious language claims are subjective and cannot therefore be empirically tested and verified

Question 21

What did Ayer observe

Answer 21

since the existence of God cannot be rationally demonstrated, it is not even probable, since the term God is metaphysical term referring to a transcendent being which cannot therefore have any literal significance

Question 22

What did Ayer conclude about any statement that includes the term God

Answer 22

It is meaningless

Question 23

What did Ayer argue

Answer 23

Since the claims about God’s existence cannot be contradicted they’re not significant propositions

Question 24

What did Ayer mean by they’re no significant propositions

Answer 24

They’re neither true or false, but cannot be valid

Question 25

Ayer was simply concerned with what?

Answer 25

Talking about God, but also with all other religious language
- talk of afterlife, which cannot be verified either