who proposed the falsification principle originally?
karl popper
what did karl popper argue?
a statement should be able to be tested and proven wrong
for popper, science should attempt to disprove a theory, rather than continously support it
who takes this theory further?
anthony flew
what does anthony flew add?
if a statement fails the falisifcation test then the statement is meaningless
religious language is not falisifiable as the believers tends to qualify their claims
anthony flews quote
“the death of god by a thousand qualifications”
parable of the invisible gardener
the believer changes the definition and description of the gardener loads, instead of accepting that there is not one.
for flew, the gardeners existence ‘dies the death of a thousand qualifications’ because every time he fails to be detected, the believer qualifies what is meant by his gardener
flews example of “god loves his children”
flew uses the example of a child dying of throat cancer, showing that god does not love children. a believer would argue that gods love works in mysterious ways. they would qualify them rather than falsisifing them
strengths of the falsification principle
grounded in science - compatible with 21st life
falsification principle captures how science is done better than verfication. as scientists shouldnt only look to verify it but to falsify it
weaknesses of the falsification principle
the falsification principle itself is not falifiable
religious belief is actually falisifable - st paul said “if christ has not been raised, your faith is pointless”
language games
responses
r.m hare on ‘bliks’
blik - a framework of interpretation, your own world view, a way of seeing things
bliks show how religious statements are meaningful - hare uses the example of the parable of the lunatics
