Epistemology revision Concept empiricist arguments against concept innatism:  Alternative explanations (no such concept or concept re- defined as based.

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Presentation transcript:

Epistemology revision Concept empiricist arguments against concept innatism:  Alternative explanations (no such concept or concept re- defined as based on experiences)  Locke’s arguments against innatism  Its reliance on the non-natural

Verification Principle ‘The criterion we use to test the genuineness of apparent statements of fact is the criterion of verifiability.’ ‘The criterion we use to test the genuineness of apparent statements of fact is the criterion of verifiability.’ A statement that cannot be verified is either meaningless (i.e. not factually significant) or a tautology Language about God is meaningless because we cannot demonstrate its truth or falsity with sense observation and experiments

Verification Principle Practical verifiability – can be tested in reality Verifiability in principle – cannot be tested in reality e.g. Man United play in red shirts e.g. There is life on other planets in the Milky Way Galaxy

Discussion What is eschatological verification?

Booklets, p.63 Why does Hick argue that religious claims can be verified in theory? Explain his example about two men walking (possibly?) towards the celestial city Is Hick’s point convincing?

Booklets, p.64 Religious language is meaningful Religious language is not meaningful

Review questions What is logical positivism? (2 marks) What is the verification principle? (2 marks) What is the falsification principle? (2 marks) What is eschatological verification? (2 marks) What is ‘death by a thousand qualifications’? (2 marks) What is non-cognitivism? (2 marks)

Review questions Explain Ayer’s verification principle (5 marks) Explain the difference between strong and weak verification (5 marks) Explain how the parable of the gardener illustrates the falsification principle (5 marks) Explain the difference between cognitive and non- cognitive accounts of religious language (5 marks) Explain what Hare means by ‘bliks’ (5 marks) Explain Mitchell’s criticism of the falsification principle (5 marks)

Review questions Explain and illustrate two criticisms of the verification principle (9 marks) Explain and illustrate Wittgenstein’s non-cognitivism (9 marks) Explain the arguments from Flew, Hare and Mitchell in the University debate (9 marks) Explain and illustrate Hick’s criticism of the verification principle (9 marks)

Review questions Is religious language meaningless? (15 marks) Does the verification principle fail? (15 marks) Does the falsification principle fail? (15 marks) Is logical positivism persuasive? (15 marks)