The Problem with Verification
In the following essay I will attempt to attack John H. Hick's view of verification, and how it can be processed within steps. I will expand on how religion, and everything that is contained within it, can't be verified at all. Although Hick discussed the problems of verification in Chapter 8 "The Problems of Verification" in Philosophy of Religion, he lacked discussion on crucial elements, discussing the problem of verifying religion as a whole.
The problem of verification isn't just one problem but many. The problems of verifying something are needed in order to give that something credibility. To verify, is to make true, and in order to make true, you must question what is being verified and make sure it completely factual. Experiments, experiences, and interpretations are needed in the verifications process. Hick discusses the problem of verification, and applies a verifiable process in "The Idea of Eschatological Verification".
In order to focus my analysis, I shall center my essay upon a discussion of the following six-step argument, assumed here to be valid, but not necessarily sound, making the issue of soundness the key issue:
(1) Hick demonstrates the problem of verification in which he explains the idea of life after death, by a step by step process of how it can be verified. Hick explains that because of certain underlying principles of verification, "life after death" may in fact be true because it can't be disproved. However, I do not agree with Hick in that "life after death" can't be disproved, does not mean it's true. This leads my essay in which nothing in religion can be verified.
(2) The central core of verification is the removal of grounds for rational doubt. But I do not understand that. Does that mean: removing any grounds of rational doubt can instantly make something true? Rational doubt is rational thinking and doubting of a certain proposition. I can't seem to remove my doubts that there is not "life after death", but merely death, and when we die…we just die. Because of my continuous doubt of the subject, verification is not in fact taking place. But if someone were to think that in fact life did take place again after death, and there was no doubt of that, but absolute faith in the concept of it, verification is taking place.
The use of a highly debated topic give good reason for someone to give the essay a read without prior knowledge of the underlining message within the essay. As a result of this, one can understand why this eassy was published in this magazine and has received limited
Religion has been a controversial topic among philosophers and in this paper I am focusing
The controversial topic involving the existence of God has been the pinnacle of endless discourse surrounding the concept of religion in the field of philosophy. However, two arguments proclaim themselves to be the “better” way of justifying the existence of God: The Cosmological Argument and the Mystical Argument. While both arguments attempt to enforce strict modus operandi of solidified reasoning, neither prove to be a better way of explaining the existence of God. The downfall of both these arguments rests on commitment of fallacies and lack of sufficient evidence, as a result sabotaging their validity in the field of philosophy and faith.
Religion, which is meant to enhance the faith of it followers, has done the opposite. The practices of religion have become overwhelmingly factual that the faith component of religion has vanished. In order to be a genuine beliver one must comprise an authentic faith. Both religious leaders and followers must realize that their religion is not factual, but sustained through faith. The key to the gates of heaven is faith, not facts.
Crusius, Timothy W., and Carolyn E. Channell. The Aims of Argument: A Text and Reader. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Print.
The sources used by the author dictated the conversation that could be issued. The difference stances and opinions gave the author a broader viewpoint to discuss the issue on. With the aid of sources and references, many being used above, she gave the reader a different view point of the problem, debating the reader to determine whether it truly is something that cannot be controlled or is something that can easily be avoided based on freewill.
The previous excerpt was provided so that the student could determine the focus of the essay. The complete essay begins below.
White, Fred D., Simone J. Billings. The Well-Crafted Argument: A Guide and Reader. Boston: Houghton, 2002.
Hick, John. Disputed Questions in Theology and the Philosophy of Religion. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993. Print.
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The Verification Principle and the Falsification Principle The verification principle was devised by a group of philosophers who called themselves the logical positivists. They were influenced by many philosophers one was Wittgenstein and is ‘picture theory of language’ Wittgenstein’s theory was that a statement can only be meaningful if it can be pictured and/or defined in the real world. Thus only assertions of statements that were in principle, verifiable could convey factual information as they have the means to be tested.
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