Verification is a way of looking at science which defined much of the 20th century in terms of technology. Though perfectly reasonable, it is quite the opposite when compared to Descartes. How can it be such a powerful way of thinking then?

1. “The Vienna Circle”!
Moritz Schlick!
(1882 – 1936)

2. Rudolf Carnap!
(1891 – 1970)!
Kurt Gödel"
(1906 – 1978)"

3. Bertrand Russell
(1872 – 1970)!
Ludwig Wittgenstein"
(1989 – 1951)"

4. correspondence theory of truth!
The truth of a proposition is
determined by its correspondence
with empirical phenomena, not by its
relationship to other propositions."

5. coherence theory of truth!
The truth of a proposition is
determined by its relationship to
other propositions, not by its
correspondence with empirical
phenomena."

6. coherence theory of truth:!
“It is daytime between 11:00am
and 6:00pm.”!

7. correspondence theory of truth:!
“It is daytime because the sun is
up.”!

8. Midnight in Sweden!

9. verification principle!
A proposition is meaningful if its
truth value is empirically verifiable."

10. “First it is empiricist and positivist:
there is knowledge only from
experience… This sets the limits for
the context of legitimate science.”"
Vienna Circle Manifesto!

11. “Everyone at this picnic is having fun.”"

12. “Everyone at this picnic is smiling.”"

13. “Second, the scientific world-
conception is marked by the
application of a certain method,
namely logical analysis.”"
Vienna Circle Manifesto!

14. “What is empirically impossible
still remains conceivable, but what
is logically impossible is
contradictory, and cannot
therefore be thought at all.”"
Moritz Schlick,"
“Positivism and Realism”"

15. “There are five people at this picnic.”"

16. “There are five people at this picnic,
and they are also not at this picnic.”"

17. “A proposition which is such that
the world remains the same
whether it be true or false simply
says nothing about the world; it is
empty and communicates
nothing…”"
Moritz Schlick,"
“Positivism and Realism”"

18. “There are four visible people and
twelve invisible people at this picnic.”"

19. “There is a world.”"

20. “The world was created by a higher
being who left no proof of his existence.”"

21. Vienna Circle vs. Descartes!