Logical positivism

• What is the Vienna Circle?


  A group that met to discuss philosophy
• What did the Vienna Circle conclude?

  Theological viewpoints are used as explanations for things science hasn’t discovered yet
• What is logical positivism?

  The idea that something is only meaningful if it is testable
• Who is a logical positivist?

  A J Ayer
• What did A. J. Ayer say?

  Statements are only meaningful if they are either synthetic or analytic
• What is an analytic statement?


  True by definition
• What is a synthetic statement?

  Giving information that goes beyond our use of language
• What makes synthetic statements meaningful?

  They must be verifiable with empirical evidence
• What is the verification principle?

  If a statement is not verifiable by logic or evidence, it is saying nothing, so it is meaningless