Flashcards
Language Change
Flashcards do conjunto (51)
- 1What is the Verification Principle?- It was invented by a group of logical positivists of the Vienna Circle.
- Too see whether language is seen as meaningful or meaningless.
- Language is only tautology if it can be verified by sense observation.
-Language is influenced by:
-Science
-Facts
-Must be seen as true or false
-Gives us knowledge the way the world is and works. ( Factually Meaningless) - 2Swinburne's Views on Verification?People generally accept 'all ravens are black' But no way to confirm this statements.
- Strict scientific views mean that statements people say are meaningless even if it make perfect sense.
- No statement can be made about history as these cannot be verified as fact with no observation. - 3A.J Ayer?Works: The Language of Truth and Logic
- 'The criterion we use to test genuineness of apparent statements of facts is the criterion of verifiability'
Meaningless: no factually meaningless.
Two types of verifiability:
1. Practical Verifiability(analytical): Statement that are tested in reality. e.e Man Utd all wear red T shirts = True by observation
2. Verifiabilty in Principle(synthetical): 'there is life on other planets in the milky way' = meaningful and verifiable we just don't have the technology to go visit every planet. - 4Ayers Views on Religious Claims?- Religious claims are meaningless = Cannot be supported by observations from sense experience that are probable.
- Secondly we can make no meaningful statements about metaphysical ideas- statements beyond the world of senses because we have no knowledge beyond own sense experience. - 5God talk?God is known as: perfect, immutable and transcendent but tells us nothing about the world around us and are talking of idea that are beyond human sense observation = Meaningless.
- Religious experiences are similarly meaningless as not verifiable as one is recounting a set of emotions thus can be explained through psychological ideas. - 6Critics towards Ayers second edition of his book ' strong verification'?-Swinburne: Excludes many areas of knowledge 'generally agreed to be false'
Cannot talk about history as meaningful using the strong verification as no observation can confirm historical events. - 7Direct Verifiability?Statements that are verifiable by observation. e.e all post boxes are red.
- 8Indirect Verifiability?Using proof based on sense observation to support an idea that cannot be directly observed. e.g. Science can use observation to predict that the existence of the black holes in space. These black holes cannot be directly observed.
- 9Criticisms of the Verification Principle?1. Verification is unverifiable: statements are only verifiable if verifiable by sense observation - is itself unverifiable.
2. God talk is eschatological verifiable: John Hick suggested that religion is not meaningless because the truth is verifiable in principle (Celestial City story).
3. Weak verification evidence problem: Whats evidence counts? Ayer says that religious experiences are rejected however researches say that there is clear evidence such experiences happen and God cannot be ruled out = therefore can religious experiences be verified weakly?
4. What can be verified?: What about poetry, Music just because they cannot be verified they still have meaning. - 10Swinburne and his obsession with toys?- Possible for a statement to be meaningful without being verifiable.
E.g. Toys in a cupboard. Toys come out at night when no one observes them.
- Situation is meaningful even though it is fictitious and unverifiable. - 11Falsification Principle?- Anthony Flew: works such as 'there is a god'.
- For a statement to be meaningful, it must be known what empirical evidence could count against it (or prove it wrong) Religious statements like ‘God is good’ cannot be proved false to a believer. - 12Basic terms the falsification principle is...?A statement has to be proved false in order for it to become meaningful.
- 13John Wisdom's Parable of the Gardener?Two explorers find a garden with flowers etc. One believes there is a gardener, the other does not. When the gardener is not detected, one explorer says ' he is invisible, insensible and now sound or smell. The other explorer says 'What makes the gardener not invisible or even exist?
- Parable used to explain religious views. - 14Religious perspective by Anthony Flew?''Their belief in God dies in a thousand qualifications''
- If something is meaningful or not, has to have a status or a scientific assertion.
- Basically he is not saying your religious language as meaningless, but whether the religious believer will allow anything to count against their beliefs.
e.g. like the parable shows.
- Meaning that original belief has lost due to the amount of qualifications used to justify the idea. - 15Criticisms of the Falsification principle?1. Ayer rejects it by arguing that statements cannot conclusively be falsified just the same as the statement being conclusively verified.
2. Braithwaite says that the VP and the FP make mistake of regarding religious language as cognitive (fact) when it is non- cognitive. (religious language is ultimately moral language.)
3. Flew understands that he does flaw that we may understand ideas even though they may not be falsifiable. e.g. toys in the cupboard, we can't prove them not to move around when we are not there but the idea itself is still meaningful. - 16Via Negativa (Apophatic Way?)- Possible to talk about God by describing what he is not.
- E.g. ''God is not evil'' ''God is not human'' - 17Via Positiva (Cataphatic Way?)- Describing god in positive ways.
- Divine names for God - The good, perfect, The light of the world. = Provides knowledge of god but only provisional knowledge.
- God is beyond our human understanding thus God is beyond goodness.
- This is metaphorical language, to expand on our spiritual awareness. - 18Aquinas' and Hick critics towards Via Negativa?1. Using negativa language does not get us any closer to describing God- does not say anything directly.
2. Believes that Dionsysius contradicts himself by saying god is ineffable, yet revealed else in the bible. - 19Supporter of Via Negativa?Maimonides: Knows that God exists but we do not anything about god. In bible god described as 'i am who i am' beyond any description.
- 20Symbols?- Understanding religious language greater through images and symbols holds more significance. e.g. the cross
- 21Paul Tillich? ( symbols )In works such as ' Systematic Theology '
- '' The language of faith is the language of symbols''
- Argued when you talk about god you use concrete terms and contingent language however they may be in fact non contingent and likely to be non- physical.
- Tillich held belief to that symbols 'participate' in reference to the object. (shows importance) - 22J.H Randall 4 functions of symbols?Symbols work by:
1. Motivating - by firing up emotions and inspiring people to action.
2. Socially- binding people with the same understanding of symbols.
3. Communicating - things that are not literal.
4. Disclosing- revealing hidden depths to us about spiritual matters. - 23Problems with symbolic language?- Hick: Tillich's view of 'participate' seen as vague within it's meaning.
- Paul Edwards: did not believe any symbols convey any factual knowledge and are meaningless.
-Symbolic language 'points beyond' to a metaphysical reality thus we do not know whether it gives us the insight to a ultimate reality. How we supposed to know what is appropriate. - 24Myth?Christianity: creation myths communicate deep and real awareness of God as a creator.
- Since myths communicate the identity experience and values not concerned with literal truths.
- Reinhold Neibhur says ' Myths should be taken seriously but not literally'. - 25William Paden - why are myths significant?- He argues that religion gives a person a particular 'worldview' set of values and beliefs + that this colours all their experiences.
- All religious language:
1. Voice of myth- the foundational stories of the religious world (first order)
2. Doctrine - commentary and religious law which speaks about 1 (second order)
3. Myths gives meaning to past, present and future.
4. Mythic power found in the absolute status of scripture. - 26Problems with Myth?- Gilbert Ryle claims that myths commit a 'category mistake' using concrete terms when referring to non concrete terms.
- What's the point in explaining truths and myths doesn't that mean the original meaning to that object is now lost. e.g. steward ship - dominate. - 27Language Game Theory (Wittgenstein)Meaning of words are determined by the language game the words are part of. e.g. Bunsen burners, flame, test tube they are a field of 'science'
He uses the idea of chess - words like queen and pawn would be used when playing however if these words were used elsewhere out of context it then wouldn't make sense.
- Language is only meaningful when the words are applied in the most appropriate way in a particular language game.
- Religious belief is therefore meaningful to those who participate in a religious belief language game. - 28Strengths of Language Game theory?1. It gives believers a way to express the meaningfulness of religious language.
2. It distinguishes it from other forms of language.
3. statements are judged within their context - they are not inherently true or false. - 29Weaknesses of Language Game theory?1. It removes link between claims made with language and empirical evidence.
2. It alienates people who are not initiated into the rules of the game.
3. Doesn't allow any concrete evidence. - 30Univocal?Univocal: uses words in the same way exactly- meaning the same. E.g. Paris is a city, Rome is a city.
Literal Language: Swinburne argues that one can use univocal language to talk about god as god is the same just the greatest degree. - 31Equivocal?Equivocal: Language is unclear/ ambiguous . e.g. john is on the right? could mean two things 'right' in terms of location-ally or politically right.
Aquinas: Language is said by God = is an analogy e.g. God is love or God is my father. The language is being said equivocally. - 32Analogy?Comparison between two things.
- 33Aquinas' View of Miracles? (Summa Theologica) (supporter)His definition of miracles is as ‘those things done by divine power apart from the order usually followed in things’. This view suggests that God can do what he wants with his creation.
Has identified 3 types of miracle:
1. Events done by god which nature could never do. e.g make the sun go backwards.
2. Events in which god does something which nature can do but not in this order e.g. resurrection of the Christ.
3. An event which could happen naturally but god breaks the rules. e.g. someone with a disease instantly cured which would've taken time. - 34C.S Lewis definition of Miracles? (Supporter)Miracles are a type of revelation.
- 35Richard Swinburne's definition of miracles? (Is there a god) (supporter)- Agrees that natural laws are universal, fixed, observed through empiricism.
-illogical to say law of nature because of one incident.
- This does not remove the possibility of a miracle.
-Miracles should not be automatically doubted because it seems to break the laws of nature. Rather miracles are events which show to have deeper significance. - 36Hume's definition of Miracles? (A Treatise of Human Nature) (Critic)- A miracle is ‘A transgression of a law of nature brought about by a particular violation of a Deity’.
- He is an empiricist thus he does not say that miracles don't happen but it is impossible to prove them. - 37Hume's Lack of probability?- Probability of miracles happening is so low that it is irrational and illogical that miracles occur.
- Miracles appear to violate the universally laws of nature.
-Therefore it is more likely that the report of a miracle is incorrect. - 38Hume's Maxim?''No testimony is sufficient to establish a miracle unless the testimony be of such a kind that it's falsehood would be more miraculous.''
- 39Hume's Principle of Induction? (arguing from observation)- Irrational to believe in miracles as they violate the laws of nature.
- Laws of nature e.g. gravity are supported by sense observation.
- These laws are universally accepted. - 40Swinburne against Hume?- How do you define when people are educated?
- Therefore what counts as ignorant and barbarous?
- Many people are educated yet still claim to have experienced miracles today? - 41Hume's Practical arguments?- Miracles or such experiences don't happen to educated people.
- People have tendencies to exaggerate and gossip and make up stories.
- Religious people are the type to believe emotional miracle stories. - 42Criticisms of Hume?- Hick would say that we do not know the laws of nature, and that they appear to have been broken before. Believed that when new things are observed our understanding of the natural law should simply be widened.
- Scientific discoveries all the time (universe expanding): its not a violation of law but an incomplete understanding that the world changes. - 43R.F Holland? (supporter)''A coincidence can be taken religiously as a sign and be called a miracle'' - Train
( Miracles to one may be a disaster but to another miracles is no more than an interpretation) - 44Anti- Realist View on miracles?Miracles are not literally caused by god. They are symbolic. Reveals something about god to a believer.(Makes sense in religious life of a believer). '' God doesn't literally have to have done a 'real' action'' - supported by hick
- 45Realist View of miracles?Miracles do have to have happened for them to be meaningful. Faithful people actually believe god has caused a miracle.
- 46Modern Examples of miracles?- Laurie Smith - baby coming back to life.
- Pregnancy
- Ruby Cassimiro - 45 mins she had no pulse then came back.
(Lourdes example) - 47Old and new testament miracles?Old: -
-Creation
-Parting of the red sea
- Feeding the 5000
- Cure of the paralysed man
New:
- Resurrection
- Healing
- Walking on Water - 48Wiles' Criticisms of Miracles?- Miracles are damaging to faith.
- Goes against the realist view (view that god caused the miracles in the bible to happen)
- It is contradictory to believe in an all loving god (Omni-benevolent) who would only intervene occasionally to help people.
- Why would god grant all the wishes in the bible and not help us now?
- Such a realist view leads to a partisan view of God.
''Even though miracles are rare by nature, It seems strange that nothing prevented Auswitch or Hiroshima'' - Wiles - 49Wiles' argument...?1. Problem is to define what a miracle actually is thus it is subjective.
2. God does not intervene in the world in the way Hume or others argue.
3. God does not violate the Laws of nature. LON and continually changing and revisible. - 50Rudolf Bultmann? (agrees with wiles)- Agrees that all mythological /superstitious elements should be taken out of the bible so the essentials truths are revealed.
- 51Polkinghorne? (Disagrees with Wiles)Maurice Wiles' view of god's action in the world does not reflect christian religious experience.
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- FlashCards sobre Language Change , criado por (S) Ibtida Anam em 07-06-2016.
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