ON THE LOGIC OF LOGICAL POSITIVISM AND THE EXTENT OF ITS NEGATION OF METAPHYSICS

Abstract

The logic of Logical Positivism rests in the verification principle which holds that the meaning of a statement is the method of its verification. The logical positivists in tandem with their principle of verification posit that whatever that is must be verifiable. This implies that whatever that fails the principle of verification will be regarded as meaningless and nonsensical. Therefore, it is only that which passes the text of the verification principle that will be regarded as meaningful. This way, logical positivists employed the tool of verification principle to negate the possibility of metaphysics. Consequently, this study seeks to adopt the method of analysis to examine the logic of logical positivism with a view to finding out whether its argument is sufficient to negate the existence of metaphysics. Or put differently, to what extent could logical positivism go in its negation of metaphysics? This study concludes that the verification principle that was put forward by the logical positivists does not possess the potency to deal a blow on the possibility of metaphysics.