1. Criticisms of Flew Possible responses Hare – religious statements are unfalsifiable and non-cognitive but still play a useful role in life (parable of the lunatic - bliks) Mitchell – religious statements are falsifiable (resistance fighter example) Swinburne – a statement can be meaningful even if it is not falsifiable (toys in the cupboard) Evaluating Flew’s Theory Booklets, p.8-11, Textbooks, p.380-383

2. Booklets, p.13 Arguments for logical positivism Arguments against logical positivism

3. Written task – 45 minutes Explain the Verification Principle Explain at least two criticisms of the VP and then explain whether you think these criticisms are convincing Explain Flew’s Falsification Principle and how the parable of the gardener illustrates it Explain how Hare uses the idea of ‘bliks’ and the example of the lunatic to argue against Flew Explain how Swinburne’s story about the toys in the cupboard challenges Flew Explain how Mitchell’s example about a resistance fighter challenges Flew Are the challenges from Hare, Swinburne and Mitchell convincing or does Flew have the better argument?

5. WITTGENSTEIN: LANGUAGE GAMES Religious Language

6. Cognitivist and Non-Cognitivist accounts of Religious Language – p.14 Read p.14 and either highlight or note down key ideas to help you explain the differences between cognitivist and non-cognitivist views

7. Ludwig Wittgenstein It is a mistake to try to prove God’s existence Religious belief is part of a ‘form of life’ A word is given meaning by how it is used and the context in which it is used Language is like a game: it has its own rules

8. Wittgenstein, p.15-16 According to Wittgenstein, how is language like a game? What is the difference between surface grammar and depth grammar? What do you think Wittgenstein means by a ‘form of life’? Wittgenstein argues that ‘God exists’ is not a statement of fact. What does he think the statement expresses? In what way does Wittgenstein agree with Ayer? In what way does he disagree with him? 20 minutes

9. Discussion Why might some believers reject Wittgenstein’s view?

10. Challenge to Wittgenstein – p.16 Wittgenstein’s approach is often criticised by mainstream religious believers for its anti-realism. In some sense, he seems to imply that ‘God’ is real for those who believe in him, who live according to the religious form of life, but not real for those who don’t believe in him. This is deeply unsatisfactory for traditional religious believers – the existence of God cannot be simply a matter of personal opinion. Surely it is something that has to be either true or false?

11. Sea of Faith Documentary Part one Part two

12. Evaluation of Wittgenstein StrengthsWeaknesses

13. VIA NEGATIVA Religious Language

14. Via Negativa God is transcendent so we cannot talk about what God is – we can only say what God is not Plotinus – second century CE  God is completely separate and beyond this world, just as the Form of the Good is the highest Form and completely beyond our understanding

15. Via Negativa Language cannot describe God God is ineffable, totally beyond human comprehension Saying ‘God is good’ doesn’t really tell us about the reality of God because our understanding of goodness is so imperfect

16. Mysticism Teresa of Avila ‘I went at once to my confessor, to tell him about (my religious experience). He asked me in what form I had seen Him. I told him that I had not seen Him at all. Then he asked me how I knew it was Christ. I told him that I did not know how, but that I could not help realising that He was beside me, and that I saw and felt this clearly.’ So the experience of God is real, but ineffable

17. Wittgenstein ‘There are indeed things that cannot be said. They make themselves manifest. They are what is mystical.’ Again, the experience cannot be put into words

18. Task – 25 minutes Resources Handout Booklets, p.17-18 Textbooks, p.388-89 Blue books, p.191-93 Create one out of: A3 poster Mind map Key words factsheet Written summary Groups of four: Each person reads a different resource and then explains what they have read to the rest of the group Groups of four: Each person reads a different resource and then explains what they have read to the rest of the group Include key terms and key people

19. Feedback Key termsKey people

20. Discussion Do you think most religious believers would accept that there is nothing positive that can be said about God?

21. Key Ideas Many religious believers would argue that God can be described (e.g. in scripture and in worship) Even though it is difficult to describe God, perhaps we can make positive statements as long as we acknowledge they are uncertain

22. Discussion What kind of prayer and worship fit with the Via Negativa? Via Negativa fits with silent contemplative styles of prayer, rather than prayers which use elaborate language

23. Discussion  Is Pseudo-Dionysius right to question the statement ‘God exists’?  Why might a religious believer feel that such a statement is misleading?

24. Evaluation – p.19 StrengthsWeaknesses

25. Next week: initial assessment Next week there will be a key terms test:  Logical positivism  Verification principle (strong, weak, in practice, in principle, eschatological)  Falsification principle  Bliks  Cognitivism / non-cognitivism  Analytic / synthetic statements  Death by a thousand qualifications  Language games  Anti-realism  Via negativa (ineffable, transcendent, mystical, apophatic)

26. Homework Log into Moodle and click on A2 Ethics and Philosophy – Homework and Assignments Look at the third block that says  3: Symbol, Analogy and Myth Look at one link for each theory. If you find these links difficult or unclear, do also look at the relevant pages in your text book. Feel free to look at more links than this if you like. Make some brief notes on the following question:  If religious language isn’t literal, does this mean it is false?