‘Verificationism cannot withstand its criticisms’. Discuss.

Question 1

intro

Answer 1

Vienna circle/ LPs made challenge.

Question 2

paragraph 1- SVP/LP

Answer 2

-RL not cognitive so meaningless
-SVP, statement only meaningful if able to be verified w experience or by tautology (logical statement true by definition such as bachelors are unmarried men)
-for LP religion cannot meet this so meaningless
-focus on what empirically know as true, knowledge only observable through senses
-science provides knowledge

Question 3

critique of SVP

Answer 3

-too rigid doesn’t allow statements ab history- as haven’t empirical observed JC’s life
-also scientific statements become meaningless e.g. ‘gravity constant in all places on earth’
-impossible to verify bc only can be in one place at time. self-contradictory

Question 4

Paragraph 2- Ayer/ WVP

Answer 4

-Ayer adopted WVP to meaningful if tautology or verifiable in principle
-rather than having to prove empirically only have to suggest possible way for statement to be verified or empirically tested
-mountains example on far side of moon 1936 before space exploration would be meaningless w SVP but outline observations that made statements verifiable son becomes meaningful
-statements to be made ab past so history able to be meaningful

Question 5

critique of WVP/Ayer

Answer 5

-VP itself unverifiable as not tautology or evidence to establish it as true that only things experienced by senses meaningful
-so fails by own criteria and is meaningless

Question 6

Paragraph 3- repose to VP being self-defeating

Answer 6

-cannot be factual statement ab meaning of factual statement and calms methodological tool for LP
-enables p to figure out whether statement has empirical meaning

Question 7

criticism of response that VP a methodological tool

Answer 7

-tools of empiricism don’t disprove rationalism
-ayer reduces VP into tool one might use of already agree w empiricism
-a priori statements only meaningless to this particular tool rather than categorically meaningless
-only shows if accept empiricism finds non-empirical approach’s results meaningless
-theist can simply say not radical empiricist like Ayer and avoid critique