OTHER MINDS AND THE PRINCIPLE OF VERIFIABILITY (1951)

The principle of verifiability is that famous criterion of propositional significance whose discussion, I venture to guess, has occupied more space in the publications of contemporary analytic philosophers than discussion of any other topic. It is not the purpose of this discussion to add a little more water to the ocean of literature on the precise meaning or formulation and the general implications of this principle, which is often referred to as the very soul of the movement called variously “logical positivism” and “logical empiricism.” A comprehensive review of this kind has, indeed, been made unnecessary by C. G. Hempel’s excellent contribution to a recent issue of Revue Internationale de Philosophie dedicatedto the theme “logical empiricism.”