WJEC Philosophy — Theme 4
Religious Language — Flashcard Set
Question Answer
What is language? The method of human communication is either spoken or
written, consisting of using words in a structured and commonly
agreed way.
What is problem 1 of religious language? Limitations of language for traditional conceptions (e.g. innate,
timeless, omnipotent)
What is problem 2 of religious language? Challenge to sacred texts and religious pronouncements as
unintelligible
What is problem 3 of religious language? Challenge that religious language is not a common shared base
& experience
What are the 3 conclusions to the problem of RL is not expressing things that are common to humanities
religious language? physical shared experiences e.g. rain RL goes beyond the
empirical We cannot have a universally accepted concept of God
Who is the main philosopher behind A. J. Ayer
verification?
Who is the main philosopher behind Antony Flew
falsification?
Who are the 3 philosophers critising Richard Hare, Basil Mitchell, Swinburne
falsification?
What do Logical Positivists believe? Moral language was meaningless
What do the Vienna Circle believe? Metaphysical claims are meaningless
What is Wisdom's Parable of the Gardener? Two explorers. One thinks there is a gardener, one thinks there
isn't. Add more characteristics of what he is, until eventually
he'll be nothing.
What quote supports Wisdom's Parable of the Killed God "by a thousand qualifications".
Gardener?
What does Karl Popper conclude? That true empiricism operates by falsification not verification.
What is the verification principle? A statement is cognitively meaningful if and only if it is either
analytic or (in principle) empirically verifiable.
What did Anthony Flew claim? That religious belief is unfalsifiable because believers can't say
what could prove their belief false - they are not actually
asserting anything about reality
What is a blik? Expressing an attitude, personal e.g. paranoid student who
thought his professors were trying to murder him
, Question Answer
How does Basil use the parable of the A soldier has faith, analogous to faith in God. Religious people
Partisan and the Stranger to illustrate his do allow empirical evidence to count against their belief.
point?
What is Swinburne's 'toys in the cupboard' Argues that there are many unfalsifiable statements
illustration?
What is Via Negativa? As we cannot say what God is we should only say what God is
not, however, Aquinas rejected this because it does not say
anything directly about God
What is Univocal language? When language is used precisely i.e. when the word only has one
meaning regardless of its context.
Why does Aquinas reject univocal language God is greater than humanity
to describe God?
What is Equivocal language? When language is used imprecisely i.e. the term has a
completely different meaning according to the context
What are Aquinas' thoughts on analogy? Every effect must have a cause, so human language is ultimately
caused by GOD.
What is the Doctrine of Analogy? God cannot be compared to anything we know in this physical
world. If we draw analogy between God's love for the world and
a mother's love, we have some great understanding but will
never truly understand the immensity of God's love
What is the analogy of attribution? Based on the concept of causes, each attribute humanity has
must ultimately have been caused by God. It is therefore
possible to draw meaningful analogies between God and
humanity because attributes are a reflection of him
What is the analogy of proportion? When we say 'God is Good', what we mean is that God's
goodness is similar to human goodness but different because
God's goodness is on a higher level.
What is a disclosure as a development by Sometimes people feel deep moments of God's presence. This is
Ramsey? called disclosure, these can be expressed analogically.
What are qualifiers as a development by Aquinas accepts that models have their limitations - they will
Ramsey? never convey the depth and complexity of God. Qualifiers help.
What are models (Ian Ramsey)? Normal everyday words that can partly express our
understanding of God e.g. 'rock', 'shepherd,' 'king'.
What analogical approach did Ramsey Models + Qualifiers = successful analogy to describe God
develop in the 20th century?
What is an example of a model? Love, kindness
What is an example of a qualifer? Infinitely, perfectly, eternally
Example of disclosure conversion e.g. Toronto blessing
Religious Language — Flashcard Set
Question Answer
What is language? The method of human communication is either spoken or
written, consisting of using words in a structured and commonly
agreed way.
What is problem 1 of religious language? Limitations of language for traditional conceptions (e.g. innate,
timeless, omnipotent)
What is problem 2 of religious language? Challenge to sacred texts and religious pronouncements as
unintelligible
What is problem 3 of religious language? Challenge that religious language is not a common shared base
& experience
What are the 3 conclusions to the problem of RL is not expressing things that are common to humanities
religious language? physical shared experiences e.g. rain RL goes beyond the
empirical We cannot have a universally accepted concept of God
Who is the main philosopher behind A. J. Ayer
verification?
Who is the main philosopher behind Antony Flew
falsification?
Who are the 3 philosophers critising Richard Hare, Basil Mitchell, Swinburne
falsification?
What do Logical Positivists believe? Moral language was meaningless
What do the Vienna Circle believe? Metaphysical claims are meaningless
What is Wisdom's Parable of the Gardener? Two explorers. One thinks there is a gardener, one thinks there
isn't. Add more characteristics of what he is, until eventually
he'll be nothing.
What quote supports Wisdom's Parable of the Killed God "by a thousand qualifications".
Gardener?
What does Karl Popper conclude? That true empiricism operates by falsification not verification.
What is the verification principle? A statement is cognitively meaningful if and only if it is either
analytic or (in principle) empirically verifiable.
What did Anthony Flew claim? That religious belief is unfalsifiable because believers can't say
what could prove their belief false - they are not actually
asserting anything about reality
What is a blik? Expressing an attitude, personal e.g. paranoid student who
thought his professors were trying to murder him
, Question Answer
How does Basil use the parable of the A soldier has faith, analogous to faith in God. Religious people
Partisan and the Stranger to illustrate his do allow empirical evidence to count against their belief.
point?
What is Swinburne's 'toys in the cupboard' Argues that there are many unfalsifiable statements
illustration?
What is Via Negativa? As we cannot say what God is we should only say what God is
not, however, Aquinas rejected this because it does not say
anything directly about God
What is Univocal language? When language is used precisely i.e. when the word only has one
meaning regardless of its context.
Why does Aquinas reject univocal language God is greater than humanity
to describe God?
What is Equivocal language? When language is used imprecisely i.e. the term has a
completely different meaning according to the context
What are Aquinas' thoughts on analogy? Every effect must have a cause, so human language is ultimately
caused by GOD.
What is the Doctrine of Analogy? God cannot be compared to anything we know in this physical
world. If we draw analogy between God's love for the world and
a mother's love, we have some great understanding but will
never truly understand the immensity of God's love
What is the analogy of attribution? Based on the concept of causes, each attribute humanity has
must ultimately have been caused by God. It is therefore
possible to draw meaningful analogies between God and
humanity because attributes are a reflection of him
What is the analogy of proportion? When we say 'God is Good', what we mean is that God's
goodness is similar to human goodness but different because
God's goodness is on a higher level.
What is a disclosure as a development by Sometimes people feel deep moments of God's presence. This is
Ramsey? called disclosure, these can be expressed analogically.
What are qualifiers as a development by Aquinas accepts that models have their limitations - they will
Ramsey? never convey the depth and complexity of God. Qualifiers help.
What are models (Ian Ramsey)? Normal everyday words that can partly express our
understanding of God e.g. 'rock', 'shepherd,' 'king'.
What analogical approach did Ramsey Models + Qualifiers = successful analogy to describe God
develop in the 20th century?
What is an example of a model? Love, kindness
What is an example of a qualifer? Infinitely, perfectly, eternally
Example of disclosure conversion e.g. Toronto blessing
