According to Ayer, mystical experiences (and other religious emotions) can empirically confirm one's belief in God.
According to Ayer, mystical experiences (and other religious emotions) can empirically confirm one's belief in God.
Ayer argues that this would work only if "There is a God" were interpreted to mean something like "I have such and such mystical experiences." No real believer would interpret "There is a God" in this way.
Ayer is assuming that two statements must be logically equivalent if they would be verified by the same sets of experiences. Given this, we can't take "There is a God" as empirical without watering it down.
According to Ayer, mystical experiences (and other religious emotions) can empirically confirm one's belief in God.
Ayer argues that this would work only if "There is a God" were interpreted to mean something like "I have such and such mystical experiences." No real believer would interpret "There is a God" in this way.
Ayer is assuming that two statements must be logically equivalent if they would be verified by the same sets of experiences. Given this, we can't take "There is a God" as empirical without watering it down.