Wittgenstein

1. Wittgenstein LO: I will know about Wittgenstein’s views on religious language

2. Connect:Best composite answer • You will need to be in a group of 3 • For each philosopher,/theory write 1 sentence about each section from last lesson • Each person will start with a different section, write one sentence and then pass their paper clockwise to the next person. • When you receive this piece of paper you must add another sentence. • The process is complete when all 3 sections have 3 sentences about them. Symbol Analogy Myth

3. Strengths Analogy -Helps provide an understanding of god. Analogy – Hick, helps understand God but preserves mystery. Symbols – gives a greater understanding and overcomes cultural barriers Weaknesses All three – open to misinterpretation, misunderstanding and inaccuracy Analogy of attribution – can become unhelpful if people have had negative experiences in this life E.g. talking of God as father Analogy – can lead to anthropomorphism Symbols – interpretations change over time E.g. the swastika Myths – theologians disagree on the meaning of passages, issue of picking and choosing what to believe and what not to believe. Evaluating Analogy, Symbols, and Myths

4. Starter game • In groups, you will all begin to start talking, (make general chit-chat, you’re very good at that!) • In your groups, nominate someone to be the ‘word boffin.’ • The job of the ‘word boffin’ will be to make up a word which they must attempt to slip into conversation. • The game ends when others have recognised the meaning of the word and started to use it.

5. Activate Big groups activity • In his famous book, Tractatus, Wittgenstein developed some key ideas which relate to the topic of religious language • The picture theory of meaning • Language games • You are going to be put into 3 groups. Two groups will be in charge of one of the above points and the other group will focus on a biography of Wittgenstein. • Your task is for the whole group to understand that area and be able to teach it to another group.

6. Demonstrate Teach each other • Choose 2 people in your group who you think know their stuff the best. • These 2 now go to the another group and split that group into 2. • You are now going to give a quick tutorial to that group on your area. • Your task is to make sure that EVERYONE in the group has understood your area. • Then you will go to another group and do the same.

7. What have you learnt? Consolidate What have you learnt about Wittgenstein’s early life? What is: • The picture theory of meaning • Language games How do these relate to Religious Language?

8. Evaluation • Assess the language-games theory, and also decide whether Wittgenstein’s approach solves some, or all, or none of the problems associated with religious language.

9. And finally … Using an A3 sheet, produce a poster outlining the following: • The Vienna Circle, Logical Positivism and the Verification principle • Difficulties with the Verification Principle • Weak Verification Principle (Ayer) • Criticisms of the Weak verification principle • The Falsification Principle (the response of Hare [blik] Mitchell, and Swinburne.) • The Via Negativa and strengths and weaknesses • Use of analogy (attribution and proportion from Aquinas), symbol (Tillich) and myth (Bultmann). Evaluation of these. • Wittgenstein and Language games