1. Did King Harold die at the battle of Hastings?
Answer this question as a verificationist…

2. A.J Ayer and Weak Verification

3. Learning Outcomes
To be able to explain the weak verification principle of A.J Ayer.
To be able to evaluate whether Ayer concept of weak verification improves to the principle.

4. Strong Verification
Strong verification has been widely criticised for excluding many areas of knowledge e.g. It is not meaningful to talk of history as no sense observation can confirm historical events. Swinburne argues that strong verification also excludes universal statements. e.g. Water boils at 100 degrees centigrade. As there is always the chance of repeating the experiment again and obtaining a different result.

5. A.J Ayer and weak verification
Ayer developed the idea of a ‘Verification Principle’ and decided that the Logical Positivists had uncovered significant problems in religious and other metaphysical claims. In Language, Truth and Logic (1936), Ayer tried to avoid some of these problems by proposing a weak form of the Verification Principle. He supposed that if it is possible to know what would, in principle, verify a statement, then it is meaningful. However, Ayer later conceded that using his weak form of the Verification Principle anything could be verified ‘in principle.’

6. There are two forms of the verification principle, strong and weak:
Strong: an assertion only has meaning if it can be verified according to empirical information. Anything else is meaningless.
Weak: It states that for an assertion to be true, one simply has to state what kind of evidence would verify its contents. This form was developed to allow historical facts to have meaning.
For example, we know that Hitler invaded Poland in 1939, but we cannot see it happening and therefore verify it. The weak principle therefore simply requires that we state what kind of evidence would be enough to make a statement meaningful (e.g. eye-witness accounts of the residents of Krakow as the tanks rolled in).

7. Think, pair, share
A: Describe strong verification. B: Describe weak verification. A: Describe the evidence needed for strong verification. B: Describe the evidence needed for strong verification.

8. The Weak Verification Principle
Who developed the weak verification principle?
(Give background information about
this person).
2. Summarise, in your own words, Ayer’s weak verification principle.
3. How does Ayer differ from the Vienna Circle? Why is his form of verification known as ‘weak verification?
4. Explain some of the criticisms of the weak verification principle.
Top Philosopher: Where did the terms analytic and synthetic come from?

9. David Hume’s fork
Hume’s fork = “a two pronged fork in which the two prongs (rationalism and empiricism) never touch; or a fork in the road that never crosses”. Research and draw a diagram to represent his concept…
Stretch yourself task: How did David Hume inspire Kant?

10. Verifiable? All water freezes. Julius Caesar was a Roman Emperor.
Explain whether these statements would be verifiable or not (give reasons):
All water freezes.
Julius Caesar was a Roman Emperor.
Abortion is wrong
God exists

11. Does Ayer improve the Verification Principle? Answer in your notes.
Discussion point
Does Ayer improve the Verification Principle? Answer in your notes.
Stretch yourself: Consider how someone would argue against your opinion. Write their response.
To be able to explain the weak verification principle of A.J Ayer.
To be able to evaluate whether Ayer concept of weak verification improves to the principle.