Religious Language

Religious Language

1. This topic in philosophy looks at the whether the talk of religion is meaning less or not

2. Verification Principle

   • The Vienna Circle came up with this idea
     • They follow Logical Postivism
       • This is the movement that believes that philosophy has the aim to analysis of language and the truth of it
   • This principle states that a statement is only meaningful if it is able to be verified
     • This can be done by evidence from experience or Tautology
       • Tautology - a logical statement that we can know to be true by definition
         • All Ravens are black
   • Weaknesses
     • Statements about history cannot be proven
     • Scientific laws cannot be proven
     • Universally laws cannot be proven
     • The principle cannot be proven
     • Richard Swinburne, David Hume
   • Weak Verification
     • A.J. Ayer
     • If there is a way to verify it then it is true
       • Key witnesses
       • Reports
     • Weaknesses
       • Cannot verify own principle
   • Aim of the principle is to make talk of religion pointless

3. Falsification Principle

   • Anthony Flew
   • Stu and Lou's garden and the invisible gardener
     • "God is the death of a thousand qualifications"
   • If there is a way to falsify it then it is true
     • Look at the evidence of the world for the evidence
   • Weaknesses
     • Hare's blik
       • Lunatic that thinks every philosophy teacher wants to murder him. Nothing can change his view on the matter
       • The bliks - it is not falsifiable and it does npt make factual claims about the world that can be tested
     • Mitchell's stranger
       • The resistance member meets a stranger who helps the resistance but is sometimes seen in uniform of the police
         • Religious believers do accept evidence that counts against their ideas.
     • Swinburne's toy cupboard
       • Just because you cannot see it, does not mean that it is not there

4. Via Negativa

   • You can only talk about what God is not
     • e.g. God is not human
   • Weaknesses
     • The result is limited

5. Analogy

   • Thomas Aquinas
     • Analogy of attribution
       • By saying that something is good/just then it is a quality.
         • e.g. if the bread is good then the baker is good.
         • So if the world is good then the creator/God is good
         • The use of the word "good" in each case is similar but is not the same
   • William Paley
     • Analogy of Proportion
       • This refers to the nature of what something is.
         • A dog's good is different to a human's good which is different to God's good.
   • Can not know God but can give an explanation to explain him
   • Weaknesses
     • Does analogy tell us anything?
     • Some words can be used univocally to talk about God - Swinburne.

6. Signs and Symbols

   • Paul Tillich
   • Each of these mean something to someone. A road sign can show that there is danger a head. While a symbol indicates something else such as a fish (Christianity)
   • Religious language is symbolic
   • Weaknesses
     • Many Christians do not think that religious language is symbolic

7. Myth

   • Peter Vardy
   • a set of values or belief a person/group of people have about the world
   • Myths do hold some truth
   • They communicate the awareness of God and where Human's place in creation is
   • Weaknesses
     • What qualifies as a myth
     • How do they communicate truth?

8. Language games

   • Lugwig Wittgenstein
     • "Don't ask me for the meaning, ask for the use"
   • Words mean different things in different areas
   • Statements are true if you are part of that game
   • Weaknesses
     • No progress in philosophical debates

9. Univocal - word has same meaning wherever

10. Equivocal - word has different meaning due to context