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| Question | Answer |
| Who does the falsification principle originate from? | Karl Popper (1902-1994) |
| What is the falsification principle? | statements are meaningful if our empirical experiences could falsify them |
| What is the aim of the falsification principle? | to improve upon the apparently limited verification principle by suggested that a statement is meaningless if there are no falsification criteria |
| Who created the parable of the garden? | John Wisdom |
| Who adapted this parable and to what? | Anthony Flew, to a clearing in a jungle |
| What is the parable of the jungle? | two explorers come across a clearing in a jungle, one says someone must tend to the plot, the other disagrees. They watch the plot and no gardener is ever seen. One suggests is invisible (test it). Cannot be smelt. Believer still believes, sceptic despairs and says the original assertion keeps changing to suit the parameters of the gardeners possible existence |
| What does this lead Flew to call arguments for the existence of God? | a death by thousand qualifications |
| What does he conclude about religious statements? | they are meaningless, because there is nothing that can count against religious statements, they can neither be verified or falsified |
| What example does he use to illustrate hsis point? | Swans: all swans are white, we may see hundreds of white swans but this does not prove the statement. However seeing one black swan does disprove the statement |
| What does Flew say about believers statements about God? | Christians say 'god is good' not matter what evidence is offered against this. Constant qualifications render religious statements meaningless as they die a death by a thousand qualifications |
| What is meant by Flew when he refers to a death by a thousand qualifications? | we try to qualify God so much, he becomes meaningless. It is impossible to reconcile God with issues such as the problem of evil, so for Flew, God is falsified and thus meaningless |
| What positive things can be said about the falsification principle? | - saves wasted time discussing God - can distinguish between sane and insane - supports design argument for God's existence as is dependent on a posteriori evidence - supports a claim of afterlife and religious experience |
| What is Richard Swinburne's challenge? | TOYS IN A CUPBOARD: if toys come alive in your bedroom you wouldn't know so it cannot be falsified. Perhaps we cant falsify God because we don't know enough about him |
| What is R.B.Braithwaithe's challenge? | PRESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE: argues religious language is meaningful because it is prescriptive- it recommends a course of action e.g. God loves me, has meaning because it advises you to live your life in a loving way |
| What is R.M.Hare's challenge? | PARABLE OF THE LUNATIC AND THE DONS: proposes concept of bliks (how you view something). e.g. a student thinks his teacher will kill him but has no evidence. But this doesn't mean his blik is meaningless |
| Explain Hare's bliks? | bliks are non-rational and cannot be falsified because they are groundless. Hare argues that even though they cannot be falsified they are still meaningful for those who believe in them. |
| What are the implications of Hare\s bliks for religious language? | Hare is saying that for believers religious language is meaningful because it affects the way they live regardless of the truth. He says the statements are non-cognitive. |
| What is John Hick's criticism of Hare's bliks? | He says there is an inconsistency as Hare claims that there is a distinction between insane and sane bliks. But also claims they are not verifiable or falsifiable. If we cannot disprove/prove religious bliks then we cannot call them right/wrong or insane/sane |
| What is Basil Mitchell's challenge? | RESISTANCE LEADER: objects Hare's groundless bliks and says they are grounded on valid reasoning Just because God may seem like a resistance leader who occasionally helps the enemy (evil), the power of faith is stronger than the evidence against God |
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