Ayer holds that two terms can't be logically equivalent unless they have the same emotional impact on us.
Ayer holds that two terms can't be logically equivalent unless they have the same emotional impact on us.
"Father" and "male parent" are logically equivalent. If you're a father, then you must be a male parent -- and vice versa. And any experiences that show that X is one of the two would also show that X is the other.
However, the two terms don't have the same emotional impact. For most people, "father" is warmer and more emotional than "male parent."
Philosophical analyses are concerned with finding logical equivalents; they don't try to preserve a term's emotional impact.
Ayer holds that two terms can't be logically equivalent unless they have the same emotional impact on us.
"Father" and "male parent" are logically equivalent. If you're a father, then you must be a male parent -- and vice versa. And any experiences that show that X is one of the two would also show that X is the other.
However, the two terms don't have the same emotional impact. For most people, "father" is warmer and more emotional than "male parent."
Philosophical analyses are concerned with finding logical equivalents; they don't try to preserve a term's emotional impact.