THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION Antony Flew R M Hare

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION Antony Flew R. M. Hare

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 1 - AF • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. Whose parable was this originally? Who does the ‘Gardener’ represent? What do the flowers represent? What do the weeds represent? Why, at the end of the paragraph is the sceptic so frustrated with the believer? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 2 - AF • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What does Flew mean by the term ’picture preference’? What are the two ways in which Flew thinks that sexual love can be understood? What does Flew say about the way in which most people actually understand the idea of spiritual love? What does it mean to ‘qualify’ an idea or statement? What does Flew mean when he says that religious beliefs suffer ‘death by a thousand qualifications’? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 3 - AF • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What does it mean to view religious language in a ‘liberal’ sense? What does it mean to view religious language in a ‘traditional’ sense? What does Flew think about the liberal understanding of religious language? Which type of interpretation of religious language does Flew express that he is going to focus on? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 4 - AF • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What does Flew say about statements that don’t deny anything? According to Flew, what is an ‘assertion’? Why does Flew think that religious statements cannot count as assertions? Why does Flew find the claim that the ‘Gardener’ in the parable is invisible, intangible etc meaningless? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 5 - AF • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. Briefly explain the analogy that Flew uses to discredit the idea that God loves us like a father. Flew anticipates two responses from theists to the reason why God allows the child to suffer, what are they? What does Flew question about the existence of God and evil simultaneously? What does Flew conclude about people who continue to believe in God despite incidences of great suffering? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 6 - RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. Why would Flew find the student’s claims meaningless? Why does Hare argue that the student’s claims are meaningful? What do Hare’s ideas suggest about how he views Flew’s work (see analysis section for paragraph 6). Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH S 7 AND 8 RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What is a blik? What does Hare says that we use are bliks to do? What does it mean to ‘cherry pick’? Where else is the idea (although not the name) of bliks used? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 9 RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What is Hume famous for What did Hume say that the fundamental flaw with inductive arguments was? Explain the blik of God ‘bearing up the pillars’ What does Hare conclude about bliks and proof? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 10 RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. How does Hare respond to Flew’s criticism that religious statements are not falsifiable? Hare acknowledges that bliks cannot be verified or falsified but still believes that they are meaningful, why? Hare’s view of bliks is an antirealist view of language. Why is this view sometimes unpopular with theists? (see analysis notes) Why might Hare’s view that atheism is also a blik be unpopular with atheists? (see analysis notes) Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 11 RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. What does Hare suggest about many scholars who consider themselves to be atheists? What similarities does Hare propose that theists and atheists share? What point is Hare trying to make about Sikhs and Muslims? Why might Hare’s ideas about the similarities between different groups be unpopular (see analysis notes) What could be considered contradictory about Hare’s ideas about shared bliks? (see analysis notes) Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is:

THEOLOGY AND FALSIFICATION ANTONY FLEW AND R. M. HARE PARAGRAPH 12 RH • Briefly summarise what Flew is saying in this paragraph. How does Hare argue that the Parable of the Gardener and that of the Paranoid student are essentially different? What is the implication about scientific questions and whether we can be detached from them? Why do some philosophers believe that Hare is wrong to make the criticism of detachment? Why do some philosophers believe that Hare is justified in claiming that you cannot be detached about God? Key words or phrases to look out for so that you can identify which paragraph this is: