What principle describes that a statement must be empirically verifiable to be meaningful, according to logical positivism?

The principle that describes the idea that a statement must be empirically verifiable to be meaningful, according to logical positivism, is rooted in the concept of verifiability in principle. Logical positivism, a movement primarily associated with the Vienna Circle, asserts that for a statement to be considered meaningful, it should be possible to verify it through empirical observation. This approach sets a criterion that differentiates meaningful propositions from those that are nonsensical or metaphysical.

Verifiability in principle suggests that if a statement cannot be directly tested through observation or experiment, it must at least be possible, in theory, to gather evidence that would confirm or disconfirm it if the relevant conditions were met. For example, the statement "All swans are white" is verifiable because one can observe swans in nature to confirm or disprove the claim.

In contrast, other options focus on different aspects of the verification process. Falsifiability pertains to the ability to prove a statement false, which is related but distinct. Practical verifiability generally refers to the feasibility of obtaining evidence for a claim. Cognitive expression, meanwhile, discusses how language and statements convey knowledge, rather than their inherent meaningfulness based on verification criteria.

Understanding the primacy of ver