Falsification Principle - Religious Language

Thinking behind Falsification Principle

Philosopher & Scientist Karl Popper

Who developed his version of Falsification Principle from Popper ?

Antony Flew

Falsification Principle

Something = Scientific only if there is evidence to falsify it.

Aim of Flew's Falsification

To consider whether or not theological statements were genuine scientific assertions

How did Flew disprove scientific nature of religious language?

Adapted John Wisdom's "Parable of the Gardener"

Parable of the Gardener: Flew's version

- Each test gives no empirical evidence of a gardener

- However, one explorer insists there is one, finding reasons for the absence of evidence.

- Other explorer questions how an "invisible, intangible, eternally elusive gardener" is different from "no gardener at all."

Parable's link to Falsification

Religious believers will go to any lengths to counter any contradictions against their faith claims.

Parable's impact on truth of religious language

- Cannot be falsified as continually modified to accommodate any challenge

- Therefore undergo "death of a thousand qualifications"

- This means they are empty

Strength of Falsification

Religious refusal to accept challenges: E.g. Finding excuse for God allowing small child to die of serious illness

Weaknesses of Falsification

- Many aspects of experience = Not in category of scientific fact: Therefore Falsification is too rigid.

- Untrue that religious believers allow nothing to falsify their claims: E.g. Problem of Evil makes many question/lose their faith.