Famous Quotes by Alfred Jules Ayer

“It is now generally admitted, at any rate by philosophers, that the existence of a being having the attributes which define the god of any non-animistic religion cannot be demonstratively proved... [A]ll utterances about the nature of God are nonsensical.”

The existence of a fact is independent of our knowledge of it.

The distinction between knowledge and belief is essential in understanding human thought.

Metaphysics is the most significant aspect of philosophy, even if its questions remain unanswered.

There is no such thing as a self-evident truth; everything must be subjected to scrutiny.

Language shapes our perception of reality; understanding it is key to philosophy.

In philosophy, clarity is essential; ambiguity leads to confusion.

A statement is meaningful if and only if it can be empirically verified.

Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language.

To be is to be perceived; to exist is to be known.

A philosophy that cannot make the world more intelligible is a failure.

The task of the philosopher is to make sense of our experiences.

It is the nature of a philosophical question that it cannot be answered in empirical terms.

We must not confuse the feeling of certainty with the existence of certainty.

The logical positivist rejects any proposition that cannot be verified by experience.

The process of inquiry is endless; every answer leads to new questions.

Ethics and aesthetics are one and the same; both are subjective experiences.

What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.

Skepticism is a healthy approach to knowledge; it allows for growth and understanding.

A belief in the supernatural is not only unfounded but unnecessary.

The essence of philosophy is to clarify the meanings of our concepts.