Religious Language Key Words

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analytic statements

analytic statements

Where the meaning is contained in the definition e.g. bachelor; statements that do not rely on empirical observations/ tautologies

analogy

A comparison made between one thing and another in an effort to aid understanding; associated with Aquinas

apophatic way (via negativa)

A range of ways of talking about God and theological ideas using only terms that say what God is not; associated with Moses Maimonides and Pseud-Dionysius

bliks

A person's absolute belief in something that would not be changed even with evidence for the contrary; associated with RM Hare’s university dons parable in the falsification debate.

cataphatic way (via positiva)

A range of ways of talking about God and theological ideas using only terms that say what God is; associated with analogy and symbol

cognitive statements

Have a factual quality that is available to knowledge

correspondence theory

A statement is true if it fits with an independently existing reality e.g. it was not true that the earth was flat

coherence theory

A statement is true if it fits with/ coheres with an existing set of beliefs e.g. it was true for people living in the past that the earth was flat in the past.

equivocal language

Words that mean the different things when used in different contexts e.g. bat

falsification

Providing evidence to determine that something is wrong; associated with Anthony Flew

lebensform

‘form of life’; idea used by Wittgenstein in his language games

logical positivism

A movement that claimed that assertions have to be capable of being tested empirically if they are to be meaningful

non-cognitive statements

Do not have a factual quality that is available to knowledge; words are tools used to achieve something rather than labels for things

language games

Theory of how we use language developed by Wittgenstein later in his career

partisan

a member of an armed group formed to fight secretly against an occupying force; Mitchell uses the parable of the partisan in his response to the falsification principle

symbol

A word or other kind of representation used to stand for something else and to shed light on its meaning; associated with Paul Tillich

symposium

A group of people who meet to discuss a particular question or theme

synthetic statements

Statements based on our sensory data and experience. The truth-value of a synthetic statements cannot be figured out based solely on logic.

univocal language

Words that mean the same thing when used in different contexts

verification

Providing evidence to determine that something is true; associated with logical positivism and A.J. Ayer

Vienna Circle

Group of philosophically minded scientists and scientifically minded philosophers who met in Vienna and developed logical positivism