Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

Falsification Symposium: Mitchell's Theory

Mitchell disagreed with the theory of ‘bliks’ and suggested another way of using religious language, using another parable.

Belief & language based on fact

Mitchell claimed that religious belief, and therefore religious language, is based upon fact, although they are not straightforwardly verifiable or falsifiable.
He used the idea of a resistance fighter to make his point.

Resistance movement example

'A member of the resistance movement is met one day by a man claiming to be the leader of the resistance movement. The fighter is suitably impressed and pledges his loyalty to the stranger. As time goes on, the fighter sees the ‘leader’ helping out the resistance, but at other times he is apparently helping out the enemy. The fighter nevertheless carries on in his belief that the stranger is, in fact, the leader of the resistance movement'.

Difference: Mitchell & Hare

Hare’s 'lunatic' has a) no reason for mistrusting dons and b) won't allow anything to count against his belief.
Mitchell’s fighter, however, is a) willing to admit that things count against his belief in the leader (a symbol of God) and b) grounds his belief in reason and fact: he trusts this man who claims to be the leader and has examples of him fighting for the resistance.

Mitchell's criticism of Flew

Mitchell claimed that Flew missed the point that believers have a prior commitment to trust in God based on faith. For this reason, they do not allow evidence to undermine their faith.

Mitchell's conclusions

Mitchell’s point is that religious belief is based upon facts, but that belief cannot be verified/falsified in the simplistic way that the logical positivists demand.
Of course, the stranger in the story will be able to reveal his true allegiance after the war and explain his mysterious behaviour, in the same way that all the peculiar and problematic parts of religious belief will be revealed at the end of time according to traditional religious belief.

1Philosophy of Religion

1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato

1.1.1Plato's Understanding of Reality

1.1.2Plato's Theory of Forms

1.1.3Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.4The Purpose of Plato's Analogy of the Cave

1.1.5Evaluation of Plato's Theories

1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle

1.2.1Aristotle's Understanding of Reality

1.2.2Aristotle's Four Causes

1.2.3Aristotle's Prime Mover

1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body

1.3.1Plato & Aristotle's Views of the Soul

1.3.2Metaphysics of Consciousness

1.3.3Materialism - Ryle’s Philosophical Behaviourism

1.3.4Materialism - Identity Theory

1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation

1.4.1The Teleological Argument - Aquinas' Fifth Way

1.4.2The Teleological Argument - Paley & Evolution

1.4.3The Cosmological Argument

1.4.4Hume's Criticisms: Teleological & Cosmological

1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason

1.5.1The Ontological Argument

1.5.2Criticisms of the Ontological Argument

1.6Religious Experience

1.6.1Introduction to Religious Experience

1.6.2Mystical Experience

1.6.3Conversion Experience

1.6.4Understanding Religious Experience

1.6.5Issues Relating to Religious Experience - Validity

1.6.6Issues Relating to Religious Experiences - People

1.7The Problem of Evil

1.7.1Presentations of the Problems of Evil

1.7.2Discussion Points -

1.8The Nature & Attributes of God

1.8.1Omnipotence

1.8.2Omniscience

1.8.3Boethius - Divine Knowledge, Free Will & Eternity

1.8.4(Omni)benevolence

1.8.5Eternity & Free Will

1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic

1.9.1Apophatic & Cataphatic Way

1.9.2Symbol

1.9.3Discussion Points: Religious Language

1.10Religious Language: 20th Century Perspective

1.10.1Logical Positivism & Verification Principle

1.10.2Wittgenstein

1.10.3Falsification Symposium: Flew & Hare

1.10.4Falsification Symposium: Mitchell

1.10.5Discussion Points: Verification & Falsification

1.10.6Discussion Points: Aquinas vs Wittgenstein

2Religion & Ethics

2.1Natural Law

2.1.1St Thomas Aquinas - Telos & Four Tiers of Law

2.1.2St Thomas Aquinas - Precepts

2.1.3St Thomas Aquinas - Real & Apparent Goods

2.1.4Discussion Points - Natural Law & Doing Good

2.1.5Discussion Points - Telos & Double Effect Doctrine

2.2Situation Ethics

2.2.1Fletcher's Situation Ethics

2.2.2Fletcher's Concept of Conscience

2.2.3Discussion Points: Moral Decision-Making

2.2.4Discussion Points - Agape

2.3Kantian Ethics

2.3.1Introduction to Kantian Ethics & Duty

2.3.2Hypothetical & Categorical Imperative

2.3.3Summum Bonum & Three Postulates

2.3.4Discussion Points: Kantian Ethics

2.4Utilitarianism

2.4.1The Utility Principle

2.4.2Act & Rule Utilitarianism

2.4.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism

2.5Euthanasia

2.5.1Key Concepts for Euthanasia Debates

2.5.2Discussion Points: Natural Law & Situation Ethics

2.5.3Discussion Points: Sanctity of Life

2.5.4Discussion Points: Autonomy & Medical Intervention

2.6Business Ethics

2.6.1Corporate Social Responsibility & Whistle-Blowing

2.6.2Good Ethics & Globalisation

2.6.3Discussion Points: Utilitarianism & Kantian Ethics

2.6.4Discussion Points: CSR, Globalisation & Capitalism

3Developments in Christian Thought

3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings

3.1.1Human Nature

3.1.2Original Sin & God's Grace

3.2Death & the Afterlife

3.2.1Heaven, Hell, & Purgatory

3.2.2Different Interpretations of the Afterlife

3.2.3Election

3.2.4The Final Judgement

3.2.5Discussion Points: Heaven, Hell & Purgatory

3.3Knowledge of God's Existence

3.3.1Natural Knowledge

3.3.2Revealed Knowledge in Faith, Grace, & Jesus Christ

3.3.3Revealed Knowledge in the Bible & Church

3.3.4Discussion Points: Reason & Belief in God

3.3.5Discussion Points: The Fall & Trust in God

3.4The Person of Jesus Christ

3.4.1Jesus Christ’s Authority as the Son of God

3.4.2Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Teacher of Wisdom

3.4.3Jesus Christ’s Authority as a Liberator

3.5Christian Moral Principles

3.5.1The Bible & Love

3.5.2Bible, Church & Reason

3.5.3Discussion Points: Christian Ethics

3.5.4Discussion Points: Love & the Bible

3.6Christian Moral Action

3.6.1Dietrich Bonhoeffer & the Confessing Church

3.6.2Bonhoeffer & Civil Disobedience

3.6.3Bonhoeffer's Teaching on Ethics as Action

3.6.4Discussion Points: Civil Disobedience & Bonhoeffer

3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology

3.7.1Pluralism & Theology: Exclusivism & Inclusivism

3.7.2Pluralism & Theology: Pluralism

3.7.3Discussion Points: Salvation

3.7.4Discussion Points: Pluralism Undermining Beliefs

3.8Development - Pluralism & Society

3.8.1Development of Multi-Faith Societies

3.8.2Responses to Inter-Faith Dialogue

3.8.3The Scriptural Reasoning Movement

3.8.4Discussion Points: Social Cohesion & Scripture

3.8.5Discussion Points: Conversion

3.9Gender & Society

3.9.1Waves of Feminism

3.9.2Traditional Christian Views on Gender Roles

3.9.3Christian Views on Gender Roles & Family

3.9.4Discussion Points: Secular Views of Gender

3.9.5Discussion Points: Motherhood & Family

3.10Gender & Theology

3.10.1Rosemary Radford Ruether

3.10.2Mary Daly

3.10.3Discussion Points: Ruether & Daly

3.10.4Discussion Points: Male Saviour & Female God

3.11Challenges

3.11.1Secularism - Sigmund Freud

3.11.2Secularism - Richard Dawkins

3.11.3Christianity & Public Life

3.11.4Discussion Points: Spiritual Values

3.11.5Discussion Points: Social Values & Opportunities

3.11.6Karl Marx

3.11.7Liberation Theology

Jump to other topics