Ayers verification principle

• Ayer’s argument: . Language is only meaningful if it can be empirically verified . Religious language is outside space and time so cannot be verified . Strong verification = we can conclusively verify . Weak verification = we can imagine a situation where we could verify it . Issues= some people claim empirical religious experience, atheism is also unverifiable
• Issues of Ayer . This is far too strict and by it most knowledge is discounted . It fails to meet its own criteria (not empirically verifiable so it’s self refuting)
• Hicks response to Ayer . We can at some point estiologically verify Gods existence (the parable of the celestial city) . Celestial city= someone dies, meets god and comes back to life and shares this experience . This is an example of weak verification . Issues= we may not recognise God, dependant on the existence of an afterlife