Logical positivism

Hanfling offers a concise, approachable survey of the core doctrines of logical positivism. He traces the thinking of figures such as Moritz Schlick, Rudolf Carnap, A. J. Ayer, and the early Ludwig Wittgenstein.

A central focus is the claim that a statement has meaning only if some method exists for confirming it through experience. The book also examines the movement's drive to remove metaphysics from philosophy. Its argument is that metaphysical assertions, including those about God, cannot be checked and are therefore empty of meaning.