The meaningfulness of propositions with reference to the varification theory of logical positivism

Abstract

Logical Positivism is the third paradigm of Analytical Philosophy; from Bertrand Russell to the later Wittgenstein, analytical thinkers have centered language as the main inquiry into their philosophical investigations. In particular, the Logical Positivists asserted a theory, known as the Theory of Verification. Russell emphasized that the meaning of a proposition always depends on its verifiability. He did not use that in a theoretical way. However, that project was completed by early Wittgenstein in his Tractatus and as a theory it was rejected by the Logical Positivists: Moritz, Canap, Weismann, Philip Frank, Popper, A. J. Ayerwere key thinkers, believed that Philosophy should also give reliable knowledge like science. On the whole, Verification theory is the result of that project. They proposed a non-natural (logical) language and explained the principles adapting that into a slit way ‘the meaning of a factual statement is its method of verification’. It indicates that a factual statement must be represented by corresponding them to objects in the outer world. Otherwise the proposition is considered to be Meaningless. In this sense, ethical, metaphysical and religious statements are eradicated because they have no factual correspondence at all. This theory inquires in to the inner epistemological relation of language and its relation to the outer world following the linguistic approach instead of the reality approach. However, this contrast with the later Wittgenstein’s idea of that ‘meaning of a statement is in its use’. This research paper goes into a detailed study of the Logical Positivists’ main thesis based on verification theories; practical, theoretical, direct, indirect, weak and strong verifications. In addition, this paper attempts to interpret the factual relationship between objects and language considering some problems: can it be justified that ethical or metaphysical statements should be understood on this theory and what is the limit of doing that and so on. Analytical and description methods would be used in this research paper discuss a specific idea. Particularly, this research can benefit modern applications of linguistic philosophy.