Suggested teaching time
15 hours
Topic
Religious Language
Topic outline
Suggested teaching and homework activities
Suggested resources
Points to note
Religious language – uses and purposes
Stimulus: paired discussion of set of statements. Which of them are religious? Which are different? How are they being used?
Introduce topic of religious language. Explain key terms such as cognitive, non-cognitive, realist and anti-realist.
Philosophy of Religion (Peter Cole).
A variety of statements is essential form the more mundane to the outlandish and unverifiable. E.g.) ‘My guiding spirit is sitting in your cupboard’.
The Verification Principle: the views of the Vienna Circle
Explain the agenda of the Vienna Circle and the Verification Principle. What does this do to the statements discussed previously? Students suggest weaknesses of this principle. E.g.) that it is itself meaningless as it cannot be verified.
Philosophy of Religion (Peter Cole).
Questions about God (Clarke).
Key to this discussion is that religious and ethical statements are neither true nor false, they are meaningless. There is no point discussing them philosophically.
The views of A.J. Ayer
Introduce the weak Verification Principle of A.J. Ayer. How does this improve the Verification Principle? Can religious beliefs in principle be verified?
Philosophy of Religion (Peter Cole).
Ayer’s notion of verifiable in principle makes scientific and historical statements meaningful but continues to exclude religion and ethics.
Religious Studies H572: Philosophy of Religion G581
Suggested teaching time
15 hours
Topic
Religious Language
Topic outline
Suggested teaching and homework activities
Suggested resources
Points to note
The Falsification Principle; the views of Antony Flew...