Language, truth and logic
by A. J. Ayer · first published 1936
56% recommend44% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Clear, accessible introduction to logical positivism and 20th-century philosophy of language; valued for its excitement about ideas and its role in bringing Vienna Circle thinking to English readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Mr. Ayer sets up specific tests by which you can easily evaluate statements of ideas. You will also learn how to distinguish ideas that cannot be verified by experience--those expressing religious, moral, or aesthetic experience, those expounding theological or metaphysical doctrine, and those dealing with a priori truth. The basic thesis of this work is that philosophy should not squander its energies upon the unknowable, but should perform its proper function in criticism and analysis.
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…Philosophy. OUP (dated, but a classic general introduction) Simon Blackburn Think. Oxford (nice general introduction) Tim Crane The Mechanical Mind. Penguin (Nice introduction to phil of mind) A J Ayer Language, Truth, and Logic. Penguin (dated, but a classic) D Hume Enquiries T Kuhn The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. Univ of Chicago Press
on “If Philosophy Won’t Diversify, Let’s Call It What It Really Is” ↗For logic: Language, Truth and Logic by AJ Ayer. It is an account that tried to introduce logical positivism to the English speaking world after the author visited Vienna in the 1930s. While logical positivism didn’t pan out, the book is…
on “Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study?” ↗- The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins - Godel Escher Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid by Douglas Hofstadter - Language, Truth, and Logic by A. J. Ayer - Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows Books that serve as investment philosophy guides for those who've developed a habit of saving money but are looking for the "next step"…
on “Ask HN: What are your favorite non-fiction books of all time?” ↗…philosophers (Russell, G.E Moore and many others). Note: understanding language semantics and how it plays a role in philosophical thinking, perception and logic is a major aspect of 20th C. philosophy. 28. Language, Truth, and Logic — A.J Ayer I initially omitted this book, as later Ayer was critical of it stating that it contains mistakes of his youth. On second thoughts, I've included it, as the way Ayer explains language, the…
on “Philosophy of Science: Suggested Core Readings and Background Texts [pdf]” ↗My list: * Quantum theory * String theory * Lenin's works except The State and Revolution * Muqaddimah of Ibn Khaldun (by Ibn Khaldun) * Vienna Circle's works especially Language, Truth, and Logic (many skip this one)
on “Ask HN: What bits of fundamental knowledge are productivity multipliers?” ↗…still think it's quite a broad statement. It shows that the school of the logical positivists springs from Brouwer -- which firstly I was never taught, and which secondly does not appear in, for instance, Language, Truth, and Logic[1] by A.J. Ayer. Finally I can see how the law of double negation becomes an epistemological matter, but not the law of what he calls here contradiction (noncontradiction?). He goes on to disprove the…
on “Relation Between Type Theory, Category Theory and Logic” ↗The use of “gender” to mean anything aside from the grammatical category is similar to the use of “god”, as analysed by AJ Ayer in Language, Truth, and Logic. Ayer points out that when people talk about “god” they have no coherent idea in mind, but are simply making a noise with their mouths. Therefore, he concludes, no statement that refers to “god” can have…
on “Gender in Latin and Beyond: A Philologist’s Take” ↗> This philosophy flowed from Ayer’s 1936 work Language, Truth and Logic. Ayer had argued that only statements that could be verified were meaningful. Ethical statements have no objective truth, and are thus simply subjective. This can lead to what has been termed the “Boo-Hurrah”…
on “Boo to the Boo-Hurrahs: how four Oxford women transformed philosophy” ↗This was the thrust of Ayer in Language Truth and Logic, and the Logical Positivists attack against metaphysics in general.
on “Pseudophilosophy encourages confused, self-indulgent thinking” ↗…languages affect our thought. Classic works include Plato's Cratylus, Locke's Essay Concerning Human Understanding and Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Another book in this class is A.J. Ayer's Language, Truth, and Logic. 7f. Philosophy of Politics/Government : Closely related to ethics, this is a study of government and nations, particularly how they came about, what makes good governments, what obligations citizens…
on “Ask HN: Learning about philosophy” ↗…Ethica G.E. Moore questions the foundations of ethics. One can't put a measure on "good", similarly, one can't explain or convey a sense of "yellow" to someone who's been blind from birth. In his books Language, Truth, and Logic and The Problem of Knowledge A. J. Ayer continues in a similar vein to the effect that sentences about ethics and ethical constructs are more emotional than propositional. And these issues are still…
on “'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised” ↗