Various Essays in Logic and Logical Positivism

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Fejfar
Keyword(s):  
Logical Positivism

Review of Behaviorism and Logical Positivism: A Reassessment of the Alliance.

1987 ◽  
Vol 32 (9) ◽  
pp. 833-833
Author(s):  
No authorship indicated
Keyword(s):  
Logical Positivism

Greek Logical Positivism

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Fejfar ◽  
Anthony Blackstone ◽  
Anthony J. Faber
Keyword(s):  
Logical Positivism

Beyond Logical Empiricism

Dialogue ◽  
1971 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
William R. Shea
Keyword(s):  
Philosophy Of Science ◽  
Theoretical Language ◽  
Scientific Discourse ◽  
Logical Empiricism ◽  
Logical Positivism ◽  
Thomas Kuhn ◽  
Logical Positivist ◽  
Suitable Alternative ◽  
Logical Empiricist ◽  
Paul Feyerabend

The mainstream of the philosophy of science in the second quarter of this century—the so-called “logical empiricist” or “logical positivist” movement—assumed that theoretical language in science is parasitic upon observation language and can be eliminated from scientific discourse by disinterpretation and formalization, or by explicit definition in or reduction to observational language. But several fashionable views now place the onus on believers in an observation language to show how such a language is meaningful in the absence of a theory.In the present paper, I propose to show why logical positivism failed to do justice to the basic empirical and logical problems of philosophy of science. I also wish to consider why the drastic reaction, typified by Thomas Kuhn and Paul Feyerabend, fails t o provide a suitable alternative, and to suggest that the radical approaches of recent writers such as Mary Hesse and Dudley Shapere hold out a genuine promise of dealing effectively with the central tasks that face the philosopher of science today.

Impossible Knowledge and Belief in God

1974 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Glenn Langford
Keyword(s):  
Subject Matter ◽  
Turning Point ◽  
Logical Positivism ◽  
Belief In God

In ‘The Turning Point in Philosophy’ Moritz Schlick expressed the following view: ‘Everything is knowable which can be expressed, and this is the total subject matter concerning which meaningful questions can be raised. There are consequently no questions which are in principle unanswerable, no problems which are in principle insoluble.’ (page 56 in Logical Positivism edited by A. J. Ayer.) I will refer to this as Schlick's principle, although it is shared by many others. What it amounts to is the view that all meaningful questions can be answered by rational procedures, that is by logical argument or appeal to evidence. It is this view which I wish to challenge, at the same time relating what I have to say to belief in God. For it follows from Schlick's principle that provided the question ‘Does God exist?’ can be meaningfully asked, it is in principle possible to answer it either affirmatively or negatively. Having done so, we would then know, and not merely believe, that God does or does not exist. I will try to show that provided the question ‘Does God exist?’ can be meaningfully asked, no such consequence need be taken to follow.

A. J. Ayer. Editor's introduction. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 3–28; also first paperback edition, The Free Press, New York 1966, pp. 3–28. - Bertrand Russell. Logical atomism. A reprint of XXV 333. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 31–50; also ibid., pp. 31–50. - Moritz Schlick. Positivism and realism. A reprint of XVI 67. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 82–107; also ibid., pp. 82–107. - Carl G. Hempel. The empiricist criterion of meaning. A reprint of XVI 293. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 108–129; also ibid., pp. 108–129. - Rudolf Carnap. The old and the new logic. English translation of 3525 by Isaac Levi. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 133–146; also ibid., pp. 133–146. - Hans Hahn. Logic, mathematics and knowledge of nature. English translation of 4193 by Arthur Pap. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 147–161 ; also ibid., pp. 147–161. - Friedrich Waismann. How I see philosophy. A reprint of XXIII 209. Logical positivism, edited by A. J. Ayer, The Free Press, Glencoe, Illinois, 1959, pp. 345–380; also ibid., pp. 345–380.

1970 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-312
Author(s):  
Alonzo Church
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
English Translation ◽  
Logical Positivism ◽  
Bertrand Russell ◽  
Rudolf Carnap ◽  
Free Press ◽  
Paperback Edition ◽  
Logical Atomism
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document