According to Austin, we can sometimes conclusively verify a statement like "This is a telephone" by our experience.
According to Austin, we can sometimes conclusively verify a statement like "This is a telephone" by our experience.
If I look at it carefully, make phone calls with it, take it apart and see what's inside, and so forth, then I can often make sure that it's a telephone. After all these tests, there could be no doubt that it's a telephone; and so "This is a telephone" would be conclusively verified.
This goes against Ayer, who says that statements about material objects can never be conclusively verified.
According to Austin, we can sometimes conclusively verify a statement like "This is a telephone" by our experience.
If I look at it carefully, make phone calls with it, take it apart and see what's inside, and so forth, then I can often make sure that it's a telephone. After all these tests, there could be no doubt that it's a telephone; and so "This is a telephone" would be conclusively verified.
This goes against Ayer, who says that statements about material objects can never be conclusively verified.