A. J. Ayer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
A. J. Ayer
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Alfred Jules Ayer
29 October 1910 London, England
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| Died | 27 June 1989 (aged 78) London, England
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| Alma mater | Christ Church, Oxford |
| Era | 20th-century philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
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| Academic advisors | Gilbert Ryle |
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Sir Alfred Jules "Freddie" Ayer (born October 29, 1910 – died June 27, 1989), often called A. J. Ayer, was an English philosopher. He was famous for promoting a way of thinking called logical positivism. He wrote about it in his books, especially Language, Truth, and Logic (1936).
Ayer went to Eton College and the University of Oxford. After that, he studied logical positivism in Vienna, Austria. He later taught philosophy at Oxford and University College London.
During World War II, Ayer worked for British intelligence agencies, the Special Operations Executive and MI6. He was also a strong supporter of humanism, which is a way of life focused on human values and reason. He was knighted in 1970 for his contributions.
Contents
A. J. Ayer's Life Story
Alfred Jules Ayer was born in London, England. His parents were wealthy. His mother's family started the Citroën car company. His father was a Swiss banker who worked for the Rothschild family.
Early Education and Talents
Ayer started boarding school at age seven. This was during World War I. He later went to Eton College, a famous school. At Eton, he was known for being smart and confident. He loved sports, especially rugby. He was also very good at classics, like ancient Greek and Latin.
He even tried to get rid of physical punishment at Eton. After Eton, he earned a scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford, where he studied philosophy.
Becoming a Famous Philosopher
After finishing university, Ayer spent a year in Vienna. There, he learned about logical positivism. This was a new way of thinking developed by a group called the Vienna Circle.
In 1936, at just 26 years old, Ayer published his first book, Language, Truth and Logic. This book explained logical positivism in English for the first time. It made him a very well-known philosopher in Britain.
War Service and Return to Academia
During World War II, Ayer joined the Welsh Guards. He worked in intelligence, helping with secret operations.
After the war, Ayer returned to Oxford University. He then taught philosophy at University College London from 1946 to 1959. During this time, he also started appearing on radio and television. He was a very social person who enjoyed dancing and going to clubs. He was also a big sports fan, especially rugby and football. He supported the Tottenham Hotspur football team for many years.
Later Life and Public Role
From 1959 until he retired in 1978, Ayer was a professor at Oxford. He was knighted in 1970, becoming "Sir A. J. Ayer." After retiring, he often taught and gave talks in the United States.
Ayer was involved in many public issues. He spoke out against the Vietnam War. He also supported the Labour Party and later the Social Democratic Party in the UK. He was president of the Homosexual Law Reform Society, which worked to change laws.
In 1987, a year before he died, Ayer had a famous encounter. He reportedly stepped in to help model Naomi Campbell when she was being bothered by boxer Mike Tyson. Ayer calmly talked to Tyson, allowing Campbell to leave.
A Near-Death Experience
In 1988, Ayer wrote an article called "What I saw when I was dead." He described a strange experience he had when he was very sick. He said it made him think differently about whether there is life after death. He later clarified that it didn't change his belief that there is no life after death, but it made him less strict about that belief.
A. J. Ayer passed away on June 27, 1989, in London.
A. J. Ayer's Philosophical Ideas
Ayer's main philosophical idea was the verification principle. He explained it in his book Language, Truth and Logic. This principle suggests that a statement is only meaningful if it can be proven true or false. This proof can come from logic or from observing the world.
The Verification Principle
According to Ayer, if a statement cannot be verified, it is meaningless. For example, statements like "God exists" or "charity is good" cannot be proven true or false by observation or logic. So, Ayer argued they are not true or untrue, but simply "meaningless." This idea was very important in logical positivism.
Ayer later became an atheist, meaning he did not believe in God. He debated religion with other thinkers, like the scholar Frederick Copleston.
Understanding Ethics
Ayer also wrote about ethics, which is the study of moral principles. He believed that moral judgments, like "stealing is wrong," are not statements that can be proven true or false. Instead, he thought they express our feelings or try to make others feel a certain way. This idea is called emotivism.
He argued that when someone says "stealing is wrong," they are really saying something like "Boo, stealing!" or "Don't steal!" These are not facts, so they cannot be verified.
Humanism and Public Role
Ayer was a strong supporter of secular humanism. This is a philosophy that emphasizes human reason, ethics, and justice, without relying on religious beliefs. He was an honorary member of the Rationalist Press Association. He also became the president of the British Humanist Association. He helped edit a book called The Humanist Outlook, which explored the meaning of humanism.
Key Works and Criticisms
Ayer is most famous for making the verification principle popular. He learned about this idea from the Vienna Circle when he was young. He wrote his book Language, Truth and Logic when he was only 23 years old. It was published when he was 26.
Influences and Impact
Ayer's ideas were greatly influenced by the Vienna Circle and the philosopher David Hume. His book is known for being clear and strong in its arguments. It is still widely read in philosophy classes today. It is considered a classic book in analytic philosophy.
In his book, Ayer also discussed how to tell the difference between a conscious person and a machine. He suggested that it comes down to how they behave. This idea was similar to the Turing test, which was developed later to test if a machine can think.
Other Writings
Ayer wrote several other books. He wrote two books about the philosopher Bertrand Russell. He also wrote an introduction to the philosophy of David Hume and a short biography of Voltaire.
Ayer was a strong critic of the German philosopher Martin Heidegger. Ayer believed that Heidegger's theories about existence were too broad and could not be proven. He thought this kind of philosophy was not useful.
Later Thoughts on Philosophy
In 1972–73, Ayer gave a series of lectures called The Central Questions of Philosophy. In this book, he explained that he still believed that many traditional parts of philosophy, like metaphysics (the study of reality) and theology (the study of religion), could not be judged as true or false. He thought it was meaningless to discuss them in that way.
Awards and Recognition
Ayer was recognized for his work in philosophy. He was awarded a Knighthood on January 1, 1970. This meant he could use the title "Sir" before his name.
Images for kids
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A. J. Ayer, a famous English philosopher.
See Also
In Spanish: Alfred Jules Ayer para niños
- A priori knowledge
- List of British philosophers
