Philosophy: logic Books

Book SynopsisThe primary purpose of this book has not been to recount all that past scholars have said about the science, but rather to record the first appearances of those ideas which seem most important in the logic of our own day.

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Book SynopsisEveryone knows that they are sometimes justified in making inductive inferences. The philosophical `problem of justifying' induction is therefore entirely imaginary. This book analyses the various literary devices which have enabled philosophers to conjure this pseudo-problem into existence.Trade Review"...A very provocative work. Stove's lively polemics will stimulate much thought, and some irritation, by attacking cherished beliefs of almost every professional philosopher...Stove's arguments are clearly expressed and presuppose minimal technical knowledge, although they are subtle enough to keep philosophers busy trying to refute them..." CHOICE, November 1986

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Book SynopsisAn attempt to provide a unified solution to a number of philosophical puzzles through a study of blindspots, ie consistent propositions that cannot be rationally accepted by certain individuals even if they are true.Trade Review'the book is challenging and extremely interesting. It will, I am certain, provike a good deal of exciting philosophical discussion.'Times Literary Supplement'Blindspots is full of stimulating discussions of innumerable philosophically interesting puzzles and problems ... It shows a lively sense of humour ... and reveals a knack for the provocative' Lloyd Humberstone, Monash University, Australasian Journal of Philosophy

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Book SynopsisStewart Shapiro presents a distinctive and persuasive view of the foundations of mathematics, arguing controversially that second-order logic has a central role to play in laying these foundations. To support this contention, he first gives a detailed development of second-order and higher-order logic, in a way that will be accessible to graduate students. He then demonstrates that second-order notions are prevalent in mathematics as practised, and that higher-order logic is needed to codify many contemporary mathematical concepts. Throughout, he emphasizes philosophical and historical issues that the subject raises. Foundations without Foundationalism is a key contribution both to philosophy of mathematics and to mathematical logic. ''In this excellent treatise Shapiro defends the use of second-order languages and logic as framework for mathematics. His coverage of the wide range of logical and philosophical topics required for understanding the controversy over second-order logic is Trade ReviewContains more on second-order logic than is readily available in any other textbook or survey. Philosophically, the book also contains many words of wisdom. * Journal of Symbolic Logic *Table of ContentsPART I: ORIENTATION; 1. TERMS AND QUESTIONS; 2. FOUNDATIONALISM AND FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS; PART II: LOGIC AND MATHEMATICS; 3. THEORY; 4. METATHEORY; 5. SECOND-ORDER LOGIC AND MATHEMATICS; 6. ADVANCED METATHEORY; PART III: HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY; 7. THE HISTORICAL 'TRIUMPH' OF FIRST-ORDER LANGUAGES; 8. SECOND-ORDER LOGIC AND RULE-FOLLOWING; 9. THE COMPETITION; REFERENCES; INDEX

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Book SynopsisPractical Reason and Norms focuses on three problems: In what way are rules normative, and how do they differ from ordinary reasons? What makes normative systems systematic? What distinguishes legal systems, and in what consists their normativity? All three questions are answered by taking reasons as the basic normative concept, and showing the distinctive role reasons have in every case, thus paving the way to a unified account of normativity. Rules are a structure of reasons to perform the required act and an exclusionary reason not to follow some competing reasons. Exclusionary reasons are explained, and used to unlock the secrets of orders, promises, and decisions as well as rules. Games are used to exemplify normative systems. Inevitably, the analysis extends to some aspects of normative discourse, which is truth-apt, but with a diminished assertoric force.Trade ReviewAny serious reader should recognize the volume's rigor, sophistication, subtlety, and admirable ambitious sweep. It remains Raz's most impressive achievement ... the republication of Practical Reason and Norms ... is a welcome event. Anyone interested in legal or moral philosophy ... would be advised to pursue it. * Matthew H Kramer, Cambridge Law Journal *

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Book SynopsisThe ability to reason and think in a logical manner forms the basis of learning for most mathematics, computer science, philosophy and logic students. Based on the author''s teaching notes at the University of Maryland and aimed at a broad audience, this text covers the fundamental topics in classical logic in an extremely clear, thorough and accurate style that is accessible to all the above. Covering propositional logic, first-order logic, and second-order logic, as well as proof theory, computability theory, and model theory, the text also contains numerous carefully graded exercises and is ideal for a first or refresher course.Trade Review'a clear and unifying treatment of fundamental concepts underlying Computer Sciences and Foundations of Mathematics' Professor Boris Zilber (Professor of Mathematical Logic, University of Oxford)'an excellent book' Professor Dov Gabbay (King's College, London)Table of ContentsPreliminaries ; 1. Propositional Logic ; 2. Structures and First-Order Logic ; 3. Proof Theory ; 4. Properties of First-Order Logic ; 5. First-Order Theories ; 6. Models of Countable Theories ; 7. Computability and Complexity ; 8. The Incompleteness Theorems ; 9. Beyond First-Order Logic ; 10. Finite Model Theory ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisBayesian nets are used in artificial intelligence as a calculus for causal reasoning, enabling machines to make predictions, perform diagnoses, take decisions and even to discover causal relationships. This book brings together how to automate reasoning in artificial intelligence, and the nature of causality and probability in philosophy.Trade ReviewThe book will certainly be appreciated by researchers and graduate students in computer science, mathematics and philosophy and, in particular, by all interested in the complicated relations between subjective and objective interpretations of probabilistic phenomena. * EMS Newsletter *Bayesian Nets and Causality is a very well-written and well-organized book ... No doubt it will be recognized as a very important contribution to the philosophy of probability and causality by a young distinguished philosopher. * Sungho Choi, Mind *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; Probability ; Bayesian Nets ; Causal Nets: Foundational Problems ; Objective Bayesianism ; Two-Stage Bayesian Nets ; Causality ; Discovering Causal Relationships ; Epistemic Causality ; Recursive Causality ; Logic ; Language Change ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisPaolo Mancosu presents a series of innovative studies in the history and the philosophy of logic and mathematics in the first half of the twentieth century. The Adventure of Reason is divided into five main sections: history of logic (from Russell to Tarski); foundational issues (Hilbert''s program, constructivity, Wittgenstein, Gödel); mathematics and phenomenology (Weyl, Becker, Mahnke); nominalism (Quine, Tarski); semantics (Tarski, Carnap, Neurath). Mancosu exploits extensive untapped archival sources to make available a wealth of new material that deepens in significant ways our understanding of these fascinating areas of modern intellectual history. At the same time, the book is a contribution to recent philosophical debates, in particular on the prospects for a successful nominalist reconstruction of mathematics, the nature of finitist intuition, the viability of alternative definitions of logical consequence, and the extent to which phenomenology can hope to account for the exaTrade ReviewThis book contains an enormous amount of material that historians will wish to consult. Mancosu convincingly demonstrates that there is a great deal more that we can still learn about the origins of modern mathematical logic. * Michael Potter, Philosophia Mathematica *Table of ContentsPART 1: HISTORY OF LOGIC; OART 2: FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS; PART 3: PHENOMENOLOGY AND MATHEMATICS; PART 4: NOMINALISM; PART 5: THE EMERGENCE OF SEMANTICS: TRUTH AND LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE

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Book SynopsisCategories and De InterpretationeTrade Review`an admirable and ingenious piece of philosophical scholarship' D. W. Hamlyn, Classical Review`Ackrill's translation and commentary on Aristotle's Categories is an excellent introduction to the treatise.' C. Witt, University of New Hampshire

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Book SynopsisIntermediate Logic is an ideal text for anyone who has taken a first course in logic and is progressing to further study. It examines logical theory, rather than the applications of logic, and does not assume any specific technical grounding. The author introduces and explains each concept and term, ensuring that readers have a firm foundation for study. He provides a broad, deep understanding of logic by adopting and comparing a variety of different methods and approaches.In the first section, Bostock covers such fundamental notions as truth, validity, entailment, qualification, and decision procedures. Part Two lays out a definitive introduction to four key logical tools or procedures: semantic tableaux, axiomatic proofs, natural deduction, and sequent calculi. The final section opens up new areas of existence and identity, concluding by moveing from orthodox logic to an examination of `free logic''.Intermediate Logic provides an ideal secondary course in logic for university studentTrade ReviewThis textbook covers the fundamental proof-theoretical and model-theoretical aspects of classical propositional and first-order logic. . . .The book is clearly written and ideally suited for an intermediate course on the subject, requiring just some elementary knowledge of proof theory and model theory. * Mathematical Reviews *

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Book SynopsisTruth and Paradox offers a comprehensive account of truth values and the norms governing claims about truth, based on a new approach to logic and semantics. Since the seminal work of Tarski in the mid-twentieth century, the Liar paradox and other related paradoxes have stood in the way of a precise philosophical account of truth. Tim Maudlin draws on analogies from mathematical physics to explicate the origin of classical truth-value gaps, and to provide an account of truth that avoids any hierarchy of languages or of truth predicates. He also closely investigates our reasoning about truth, including apparently unobjectionable reasoning about the paradoxical sentences. The fallacies in that reasoning are located not in any inferences concerning truth, but in the foundations of standard logic. Blocking the paradoxical arguments requires emendation of classical logic, and the requisite emendations call into question the existence of any a priori logical truths. Maudlin also includes a diTrade ReviewTim Maudlin's Truth and Paradox is a terrific book... the perspective it casts on [the] situation is completely novel ... sure to interest a wide range of philosophers, not just those with special interest in the paradoxes...lucid and lively, a pleasure to read. * Hartry Field, Philosophy and Phenomenological Research *Tim Maudlin offers a theory of truth that arises from a foundationalist picture of language. The picture is attractive, and Maudlin builds on it courageously (indeed, fearlessly) ... a though-provoking book, one that offers a novel way of conceptualizing a fixed-point theory of truth. * Anil Gupta, MIND *Table of Contents1. Two Versions of the Liar Paradox ; 2. On the Origin of Truth Values ; 3. What is Truth, and What is a Theory of Truth? ; 4. A Language That Can Express Its Own Truth Theory ; 5. The Norms of Assertion and Denial ; 6. Solving the Inferential Liar Antinomy ; 7. Reasoning about Permissible Sentences ; 8. The Permissibility Paradox ; 9. The Metaphysics of Truth ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisHow strongly should you believe the various propositions that you can express?That is the key question facing Bayesian epistemology. Subjective Bayesians hold that it is largely (though not entirely) up to the agent as to which degrees of belief to adopt. Objective Bayesians, on the other hand, maintain that appropriate degrees of belief are largely (though not entirely) determined by the agent''s evidence. This book states and defends a version of objective Bayesian epistemology. According to this version, objective Bayesianism is characterized by three norms: Probability - degrees of belief should be probabilities Calibration - they should be calibrated with evidence Equivocation - they should otherwise equivocate between basic outcomesObjective Bayesianism has been challenged on a number of different fronts. For example, some claim it is poorly motivated, or fails to handle qualitative evidence, or yields counter-intuitive degrees of belief after updating, or suffers from a failureTable of ContentsPreface ; 1. Introduction ; 2. Objective Bayesianism ; 3. Motivation ; 4. Updating ; 5. Predicate Languages ; 6. Objective Bayesian Nets ; 7. Probabilistic Logic ; 8. Judgement Aggregation ; 9. Languages and Relativity ; 10. Objective Bayesianism in Perspective ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisSaving Truth from Paradox is an ambitious investigation into paradoxes of truth and related issues, with occasional forays into notions such as vagueness, the nature of validity, and the Gödel incompleteness theorems. Hartry Field presents a new approach to the paradoxes and provides a systematic and detailed account of the main competing approaches. Part One examines Tarski''s, Kripke''s, and Lukasiewicz''s theories of truth, and discusses validity and soundness, and vagueness. Part Two considers a wide range of attempts to resolve the paradoxes within classical logic. In Part Three Field turns to non-classical theories of truth that that restrict excluded middle. He shows that there are theories of this sort in which the conditionals obey many of the classical laws, and that all the semantic paradoxes (not just the simplest ones) can be handled consistently with the naive theory of truth. In Part Four, these theories are extended to the property-theoretic paradoxes and to various othTrade Reviewone of the most impressive works on semantic paradoxes to have appeared in recent years... written with great clarity and meticulous rigour, the difficulty of the issues dealt with... The book, a must-read for everyone interested in semantic paradoxes (or in philosophical logic more generally), develops a highly-sophisticated theory of truth that aims at solving the resilient problems posed by the Liar Paradox... The book is a valuable source of inspiration ... . It will certainly shape the discussion on semantic paradoxes in the years to come. * José Martínez Fernández and Jordi Valor Abad, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Field is St George on a white charger (as portrayed by Raphael on the cover), come to save what he can of a theory of truth (the damsel) from the damage wreaked by the Liar paradox, König's paradox, Curry's paradox, and others (the dragon). * Stephen Read, Mind *Table of ContentsPART ONE: A SELECTIVE BACKGROUND; PART TWO: BROADLY CLASSICAL APPROACHES; STRATIFIED AND CONTEXTUAL THEORIES; PART FOUR: MORE ON PARACOMPLETE SOLUTIONS; PART FIVE: PARACONSISTENT DIALETHEISM

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Book SynopsisThe Law of Non-Contradiction has been high orthodoxy in Western philosophy since Aristotle. The so-called Law has been the subject of radical challenge in recent years by dialetheism, the view that some contradictions are indeed true. Many philosophers have taken the Law to be central to many of our most important philosophical concepts. In Doubt Truth to be a Liar, Graham Priest mounts the case against this. Starting with an analysis of Aristotle on the Law, he discusses the nature of truth, or rationality, or negation, and of logic itself, and argues that the Law is inessential to all of these things. The book takes off from Priest''s earlier book, In Contradiction (a second edition of which is also published by OUP), developing its themes largely without recourse to formal logic.The book is required reading for anyone who wishes to understand dialetheism; (especially) for anyone who wishes to continue to endorse the old Aristotelian orthodoxy; and more generally, for anyone who wishTrade ReviewReview from previous edition This wide-ranging book is divided into four Parts: Truth, Negation, Rationality and Logic. Priest's discussion of these topics is centered around their bearing on his doctrine of dialetheism, the view that some contradictions are true; but the discussions are of great interest independent of dialetheism. The quality of the discussion is generally very high, and the book is a must-read for anyone interested in the central questions of the philosophy of logic. . . . I found this a thoroughly stimulating book. I recommend it with great enthusiasm. * Hartry Field, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsI. TRUTH; II. NEGATION; III. RATIONALITY; IV. LOGIC

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Book SynopsisThe relationship of part to whole is one of the most fundamental there is, yet until now there has been no full-length study of this concept. This book shows that mereology, the formal theory of part and whole, is essential to ontology. Peter Simons surveys and criticizes previous theories, especially the standard extensional view, and proposes a more adequate account which encompasses both temporal and modal considerations in detail. This has far-reaching consequences for our understanding of such classical philosophical concepts as identity, individual, class, substance and accident, matter, form, essence, dependence, and integral whole. It also enables the author to offer new solutions to long-standing problems surrounding these concepts, such as the Ship of Theseus Problem and the issue of mereological essentialism. The author shows by his use of formal techniques that classical philosophical problems are amenable to rigorous treatment, and the book represents a synthesis of issuesTrade ReviewA clear and careful work both in metaphysics and in the history and logic of mereology....Simons's care and precision and his sensitivity to fine distinctions are what make the book a success. * The Philosophical Review *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; PART 1 EXISTENSIONAL PART-WHOLE THEORY; 1. CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES OF EXTENSIONAL MEREOLOGY; 2. SURVEY OF EXTENSIONAL MEREOLOGY; 3. PROBLEMS; 4. OCCURRENTS, CLASSES, AND MASSES; PART II MEREOLOGY OF CONTINUANTS; 5. TEMPORARY PARTS AND INTERMITTENT EXISTENCE; 6. SUPERPOSITION, COMPOSITION, AND MATTER; PART III ESSENCE, DEPENDENCE, AND INTEGRITY; 7. ESSENTIAL PARTS; 8. ONTOLOGICAL DEPENDENCE; 9. INTEGRAL WHOLES; CONCLUDING REMARKS; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX.

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Book SynopsisAristotle''s Prior Analytics marks the beginning of formal logic. For Aristotle himself, this meant the discovery of a general theory of valid deductive argument, a project that he had described as either impossible or impracticable, probably not very long before he actually came up with syllogistic reasoning. A syllogism is the inferring of one proposition from two others of a particular form, and it is the subject of the Prior Analytics. The first book, to which this volume is devoted, offers a fairly coherent presentation of Aristotle''s logic as a general theory of deductive argument.Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION ; 1. TRANSLATION ; 2. COMMENTARY ; NOTES ON THE TEXT ; BIBLIOGRAPHY ; GLOSSARY ; INDEX OF PASSAGES CITED ; GENERAL INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis is a new edition, revised and expanded, of a seminal work in the logic and philosophy of time, originally published in 1968. Arthur N. Prior (1914-1969) was the founding father of temporal logic. His work has attracted increased attention in the decades since his death: its influence stretches beyond philosophy and logic to computer science and formal linguistics. Prior''s fundamental ideas about the logic of time are presented here along with his investigations into the formal properties of time and tense. Already in 1969 Prior had been planning a new edition of Papers on Time and Tense, to incorporate his more recent work. Because of his untimely death this plan was never followed through--till now. Seven important papers have been added to the original selection, as well as a comprehensive bibliography of his work and an illuminating interview with his widow, Mary Prior, about his life and work. In addition, the Polish logic which made the original book difficult for many readeTrade Review[An] excellent collection. Every paper is densely argued and challenging * Philosophy Journal, Vol. 82 *Table of Contents1. LIFE AND WORK OF ARTHUR N. PRIOR: 'AN INTERVIEW WITH MARY PRIOR'

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Book SynopsisAddresses fundamental and interrelated philosophical issues concerning modality and identity, issues that were pivotal to the development of analytic philosophy in the twentieth century. This work is intended for graduate students in the subject and professional philosophers.Trade ReviewThe essays make important contributions to contemporary debated concerning modality, individuation, mathmatical structuralism and personal identity. The collection is tus warmly recommended to anyone interested in these areas. * Oystein Linnebo MIND *the volume . . . is of high quality and contains important contributions to many areas of contemporary metaphysics * Matti Eklund, Notre Dame Philosophical Review *all in all, this is an impressive volume, of significant interest to anyone who wants to stay abreast of developments in contemporary metaphysics * Matti Eklund, Notre Dame Philosophical Review *Table of ContentsI. MODALITY ; II. IDENTITY AND INDIVIDUATION ; III. PERSONAL IDENTITY

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Book SynopsisThis is a book about semantic theories of modality. Its main goal is to explain and evaluate important contemporary theories within linguistics and to discuss a wide range of linguistic phenomena from the perspective of these theories. The introduction describes the variety of grammatical phenomena associated with modality, explaining why modal verbs, adjectives, and adverbs represent the core phenomena. Chapters are then devoted to the possible worlds semantics for modality developed in modal logic; current theories of modal semantics within linguistics; and the most important empirical areas of research. The author concludes by discussing the relation between modality and other topics, especially tense, aspect, mood, and discourse meaning.Paul Portner''s accessible guide to this key area of current research will be welcomed by students of linguistics at graduate level and above, as well as by researchers in philosophy, computational science, and related fields.Trade ReviewThis is a most welcome, challenging and insightful book...an invaluable source of information for both students and senior researchers in linguistic semantics. * Ferenc Keifer, The Journal of Linguistics *This book is sure to be recognized as the most thorough systematic survey of the semantics of modality yet undertaken...written with admirable care * Frank Veltman, Professor of Logic and Cognitive Science, University of Amsterdam *...constitutes an ideal introduction for the beginner; but also the expert will learn from it... An extremely valuable, up to date, inspiring resource. * Gennaro Chierchia, Haas Foundations Professor of Linguistics, Harvard University *A self-contained monograph, it does not assume much familiarity on the reader's part with modal logic or any major theory of linguistic modality, so that those who have just started exploring modality will find the book very accessible and helpful. On the other hand, experts will find the book an excellent resource to turn to when they want to have a quick brush-up on one theory of modality or another. An authoritative figure on linguistic modality, Portner takes an unimposing position when presenting his own ideas (where applicable). Overall the book is a great pleasure to read. * Zhiguo Xie, Department of Linguistics, Cornell University *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Modal Logic ; 3. Major Linguistic Theories of Modality ; 4. Sentential Modality ; 5. Modality and Other Intensional Categories ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisTruth Through Proof defends an anti-platonist philosophy of mathematics derived from game formalism. Classic formalists claimed implausibly that mathematical utterances are truth-valueless moves in a game. Alan Weir aims to develop a more satisfactory successor to game formalism utilising a widely accepted, broadly neo-Fregean framework, in which the proposition expressed by an utterance is a function of both sense and background circumstance. This framework allows for sentences whose truth-conditions are not representational, which are made true or false by conditions residing in the circumstances of utterances but not transparently in the sense. Applications to projectivism and fiction pave the way for the claim that mathematical utterances are made true or false by the existence of concrete proofs or refutations, though these truth-making conditions form no part of their sense or informational content. The position is compared with rivals, an account of the applicability of mathematics developed, and a new account of the nature of idealisation proffered in which it is argued that the finitistic limitations Gödel placed on proofs are without rational justification. Finally a non-classical logical system is provided in which excluded middle fails, yet enough logical power remains to recapture the results of standard mathematics.Trade ReviewIn this fascinating book, Weir defends a new account of what makes mathematical assertions objectively true or false. * Julian C. Cole, Philosophy in Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Metaphysics ; 2. Ontological Reduction ; 3. Neo-formalism ; 4. Objections and Comparisons ; 5. Applying Mathematics ; 6. Proof Set in Concrete ; 7. Idealisation Naturalised ; 8. Logic ; Conclusion ; Appendix

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Book SynopsisThe Logic Manual is a clear and concise introduction to logic for beginning philosophy students. It offers a complete introductory course, guiding the reader carefully through the topics in logic that are most important for the study of philosophy. It covers propositional and predicate logic with and without identity. It includes an account of the semantics of these languages including definitions of truth and satisfaction. Natural deduction is used as a proof system. Volker Halbach introduces the essential concepts through examples and informal explanations as well as through abstract definitions. The Logic Manual provides the best entry to the general abstract way of thinking about language, logic, and semantics which is characteristic of contemporary philosophy. Exercises, examples, and sample examination papers are provided on an accompanying website.Table of Contents1. Sets, Relations, and Arguments ; 2. Syntax and Semantics of Propositional Logic ; 3. Formalisation in Propositional Logic ; 4. The Syntax of Predicate Logic ; 5. The Semantics of Predicate Logic ; 6. Natural Deduction ; 7. Formalisation in Predicate Logic ; 8. Identity and Definite Descriptions ; Natural Deduction Rules

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Book SynopsisThis volume of newly written chapters on the history and interpretation of Wittgenstein''s Tractatus represents a significant step beyond the polemical debate between broad interpretive approaches that has recently characterized the field. Some of the contributors might count their approach as ''new'' or ''resolute'', while others are more ''traditional'', but all are here concerned primarily with understanding in detail the structure of argument that Wittgenstein presents within the Tractatus, rather than with its final self-renunciation, or with the character of the understanding that renunciation might leave behind. The volume makes a strong case that close investigation, both biographical and textual, into the composition of the Tractatus, and into the various influences on it, still has much to yield in revealing the complexity and fertility of Wittgenstein''s early thought. Amongst these influences Kant and Kierkegaard are considered alongside Wittgenstein''s immediate predecessoTable of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. Wittgenstein's pre-Tractatus manuscripts: a new appraisal ; 3. Why does Wittgenstein say that ethics and aesthetics are one and the same? ; 4. Kierkegaard and the Tractatus ; 5. What is Frege's 'concept horse problem'? ; 6. Tractatus 5.4611: 'Signs for logical operations are punctuation marks' ; 7. Logical segmentation and generality in Wittgenstein's Tractatus ; 8. Does the Tractatus contain a private language argument? ; 9. Logic and solipsism ; 10. Was the author of the Tractatus a transcendental idealist? ; 11. Idealism in Wittgenstein: a further reply to Moore ; Index

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Book SynopsisNecessary Beings is concerned with two central areas of metaphysics: modality--the theory of necessity, possibility, and other related notions; and ontology--the general study of what kinds of entities there are. Bob Hale''s overarching purpose is to develop and defend two quite general theses about what is required for the existence of entities of various kinds: that questions about what kinds of things there are cannot be properly understood or adequately answered without recourse to considerations about possibility and necessity, and that, conversely, questions about the nature and basis of necessity and possibility cannot be satisfactorily tackled without drawing on what might be called the methodology of ontology. Taken together, these two theses claim that ontology and modality are mutually dependent upon one another, neither more fundamental than the other. Hale defends a broadly Fregean approach to metaphysics, according to which ontological distinctions among different kinds oTrade ReviewBob Hale's distinguished record of research places him among the most important and influential contemporary analytic metaphysicians. In his deep, wide-ranging, yet highly readable book Necessary Beings, Hale draws upon, but substantially integrates and extends, a good deal of his past research to produce a sustained and richly textured essay on - as promised in the subtitle - ontology, modality, and the relations between them. Christopher Menzel, Philosophia Mathematica [T]he essentialist theory presented in this book constitutes a significant contribution to an exciting research project concerning the relations between modality and essence. In addition, of course, Hale's development of the essentialist theory is only one aspect of the book's important contribution to central and fundamental topics concerning the nature of modality. Penelope Mackie, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews It is very a thorough book and Hale covers a lot of ground. It contains not only new research but also useful summaries of Hales views and overviews of the various positions he opposes or develops. Thus it is not only of interest to experts in the field, but it can also serve as an introduction to the topic to readers with a general knowledge of logic and metaphysics.Table of ContentsPreface and acknowledgements ; Introduction ; 1. Ontological preliminaries ; 2. The necessity of necessity ; 3. Irreducible modality ; 4. Absolute Modality ; 5. The Source of Logical Necessities ; 6. Metaphysical Necessities ; 7. Necessary beings: properties and numbers ; 8. Higher-order logics ; 9. Contingent beings ; 10. Possibilities ; 11. Essential knowledge ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisMathematics depends on proofs, and proofs must begin somewhere, from some fundamental assumptions. The axioms of set theory have long played this role, so the question of how they are properly judged is of central importance. Maddy discusses the appropriate methods for such evaluations and the philosophical backdrop that makes them appropriate.Trade Review'an engaging contribution to an important philosophical debate [which] deserves to be read far beyond the ranks of philosophers of mathematics' * Journal of Philosophy *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Problem ; 2. Proper Method ; 3. Thin Realism ; 4. Arealism ; 5. Morals ; Bibliography

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Book SynopsisRichard Tieszen presents an analysis, development, and defense of a number of central ideas in Kurt Gödel''s writings on the philosophy and foundations of mathematics and logic. Tieszen structures the argument around Gödel''s three philosophical heroes - Plato, Leibniz, and Husserl - and his engagement with Kant, and supplements close readings of Gödel''s texts on foundations with materials from Gödel''s Nachlass and from Hao Wang''s discussions with Gödel. As well as providing discussions of Gödel''s views on the philosophical significance of his technical results on completeness, incompleteness, undecidability, consistency proofs, speed-up theorems, and independence proofs, Tieszen furnishes a detailed analysis of Gödel''s critique of Hilbert and Carnap, and of his subsequent turn to Husserl''s transcendental philosophy in 1959. On this basis, a new type of platonic rationalism that requires rational intuition, called ''constituted platonism'', is developed and defended. Tieszen showTrade ReviewTieszen has long been one of the bridge builders in contemporary philosophy, who is engaged by the philosophical issues and studies them with a broad background and an open mind. There is much to be learned by this, and I am eagerly looking forward to Tieszen's continuation of this interesting and very valuable work. * Dagfinn Follesda, Philosophia MathematicaJuliette Kennedy, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Setting the Stage ; 2. Consistency, and the Ascent to Platonic Rationalism ; 3. Godel's Path From Hilbert and Carnap to Husserl ; 4. A New Kind of Platonism ; 5. Consciousness, Reason, and Intentionality ; 6. Constituted Platonism, Reason, and Mathematical Knowledge ; 7. Minds and Machines ; 8. Reason, Science, and Evidence ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn order to perfectly describe the world, it is not enough to speak truly. In this ambitious and ground-breaking book, Theodore Sider argues that for a representation to be fully successful, truth is not enough; the representation must also use the right concepts--concepts that ''carve at the joints''--so that its conceptual structure matches reality''s structure. There is an objectively correct way to ''write the book of the world''. According to Sider, metaphysics is primarily about fundamentality rather than necessity, conceptual analysis, or ontology. Fundamentality is understood in terms of structure: the fundamental truths are those truths that involve structural (joint-carving) concepts. Sider argues that part of the theory of structure is an account of how structure connects to other concepts. For example, structure can be used to illuminate laws of nature, explanation, reference, induction, physical geometry, substantivity, conventionality, objectivity, and metametaphysics. AnTrade ReviewSiders book is a great and important milestone in contemporary metaphysics. I highly recommend it to all metaphysicians, although the reader has a mountain to climb. The book is rich in complex arguments requiring careful study, whether you are a realist or a deflationist. * Laszlo Kocsis, Philosophy in Review *Two issues have been heavily debated in recent metaphysics: a revival of the old meta-question concerning the substantivity of (at least some) metaphysical debates, and the first-order question of what we might or should mean by metaphysical 'fundamentality.' Theodore Sider addresses these and related matters with great care, sophistication, clarity, and originality. . . . a terrific achievement: profound, rigorously systematic, and full of clarifying insights and arguments. * Timothy O'Connor and Nickolas Montgomery, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Table of Contents1. Structure ; 2. Primitivism ; 3. Connections ; 4. Substantivity ; 5. Metametaphysics ; 6. Beyond the predicate ; 7. Questions ; 8. Rivals ; 9. Ontology ; 10. Logic ; 11. Time ; 12. Modality ; 13. A Worldview ; References

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Book SynopsisGraham Priest presents an original exploration of philosophical questions concerning the one and the many. He covers a wide range of issues in metaphysics--including unity, identity, grounding, mereology, universals, being, intentionality, and nothingness--and deploys the techniques of paraconsistent logic in order to offer a radically new treatment of unity. Priest brings together traditions of Western and Asian thought that are usually kept separate in academic philosophy: he draws on ideas from Plato, Heidegger, and Nagarjuna, among other philosophers.Trade ReviewA bracingly original treatise. The breadth and boldness of this work, as well as its technical rigor and historical sensitivity are very much to be admired. * Michael Price, Mind *If you are looking for a book doing something genuinely innovative, doing it with rigor, clarity, and a deep sensitivity to the breadth of philosophical tradition, then One is one for you. * Jason Turner, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews Online *In just 230 pages, One is a dense, remarkably clear, and unique treatment of a wide-range of topics in philosophy. What unifies the book is the topic of what unifies objects generally -- what Priest calls 'gluon theory' -- and allied themes in Buddhist thought. Gluon theory answers the question, What makes something one? What is it that 'glues' an object together into a unity? The impressive number of topics brought together by Priest's answer, which prominently services the fringe views for which he is well-known, speaks to its power and elegance. For this reason, One could also serve as a panoramic introduction to Priestâs work generally. * C. A. McIntosh, Philosophy in Review *Table of ContentsPART I: UNITY; PART II: IN PLATO'S TRAJECTORY; PART III: BUDDHIST THEMES

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Book SynopsisIn order to perfectly describe the world, it is not enough to speak truly. In this ambitious and ground-breaking book, Theodore Sider argues that for a representation to be fully successful, truth is not enough; the representation must also use the right concepts-concepts that ''carve at the joints''-so that its conceptual structure matches reality''s structure. There is an objectively correct way to ''write the book of the world''.Sider''s argument begins from the assertion that metaphysics is about the fundamental structure of reality. Not about what''s necessarily true; not about what properties are essential; not about conceptual analysis; and not about what there is. While inquiry into necessity, essence, concepts, or ontology might help to illuminate reality''s structure, the ultimate goal is insight into this structure. Sider argues that part of the theory of structure is an account of how structure connects to other concepts. For example, structure can be used to illuminate lawTrade ReviewTwo issues have been heavily debated in recent metaphysics: a revival of the old meta-question concerning the substantivity of (at least some) metaphysical debates, and the first-order question of what we might or should mean by metaphysical 'fundamentality.' Theodore Sider addresses these and related matters with great care, sophistication, clarity, and originality. . . . a terrific achievement: profound, rigorously systematic, and full of clarifying insights and arguments. * Timothy O'Connor and Nickolas Montgomery, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews *Sider works through an impressie list of philosophical problems and shows in each case how the idea of basic structure can help us address them ... there is much to applaud in this fascinating book. * A.W. Moore, London Review of Books *Siders book is a great and important milestone in contemporary metaphysics. I highly recommend it to all metaphysicians, although the reader has a mountain to climb. The book is rich in complex arguments requiring careful study, whether you are a realist or a deflationist. * László Kocsis, Philosophy in Review XXXIII *Table of Contents1. Structure ; 2. Primitivism ; 3. Connections ; 4. Substantivity ; 5. Metametaphysics ; 6. Beyond the predicate ; 7. Questions ; 8. Rivals ; 9. Ontology ; 10. Logic ; 11. Time ; 12. Modality ; 13. A Worldview ; References

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Book SynopsisHow do organizations become created? Entrepreneurship scholars have debated this question for decades, but only recently have they been able to gain insights into the non-linear dynamics that lead to organizational emergence, through the use of the complexity sciences. Written for social science researchers, Generative Emergence summarizes these literatures, including the first comprehensive review of each of the 15 complexity science disciplines. In doing so, the book makes a bold proposal for a discipline of Emergence, and explores one of its proposed fields, namely Generative Emergence. The book begins with a detailed summary of its underlying science, dissipative structures theory, and rigorously maps the processes of order creation discovered by that science to identify a 5-phase model of order creation in entrepreneurial ventures. The second half of the book presents the findings from an experimental study that tested the model in four fast-growth ventures through a year-long, weTable of ContentsChapter 1. Why Emergence ; Chapter 2. Prototypes of Emergence ; Chapter 3. Methods for Studying Emergence - 15 Fields of Complexity Science ; Chapter 4. Defining Emergence and Generative Emergence ; Chapter 5. Types of Emergence Studies ; Chapter 6. Dissipative Structures ; Chapter 7. Applications to Organizations ; Chapter 8. Introducing Dynamic States ; Chapter 9. Outcomes of Generative Emergence ; Chapter 10. Introducing the Five-Phase Process Model Of Generative Emergence ; Chapter 11. Phase 2 - Stress & Experiments ; Chapter 12. Phase 3 - Amplification and Critical Events ; Chapter 13. Phase 4 - New Order through Recombination ; Chapter 14. Phase 5 - Stabilizing Feedback ; Chapter 15. Cycles of Emergence ; Chapter 16. Cycles of Re-Emergence ; Chapter 17. Boundaries of Emergence, and Beyond the Boundaries ; Chapter 18. Enacting Emergence

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Book SynopsisThis book makes available for the first time an English translation of William Ockham's work on Aristotle's Posterior Analytics, which contains his theory of scientific demonstration and philosophy of science.Trade Review“Longeway's claims are well-considered, and Ockham's influence on early modern philosophy is never far from his mind. His careful translation, compilation of relevant documents, and impressive history of medieval empiricism should interest any scholar studying the history of philosophy of science.” —Journal of the History of Philosophy“Longeway provides not only a very accessible translation but also extensive commentary of his own, including a book-length detailed history of the intellectual contexts of Ockham's Latin Middle Ages. . . . The result is an effective translation of Ockham's seminal work but also what may become a foundational text in intellectual and science history.” —Research Book News“The present work is the result of decades of study of Ockham's philosophy of science. The translation and commentary are introduced by a chapter in which Longeway presents an overview of Ockham's thought in this area and highlights its philosophical significance. This introduction is in its own right a significant contribution to the history of philosophy.” —Owen Goldin, Marquette University“Like much else in medieval philosophy, medieval theories of demonstrative knowledge are historically important, philosophically interesting, and little understood. There are a few extensive studies into medieval discussions of demonstration and even fewer translations of these important discussions. Longeway's translation of Ockham in Demonstration and Scientific Knowledge in William of Ockham is among the few English translations of medieval commentaries on posterior analytics we have and in this way is an important contribution to the field. Longeway's lengthy introductory survey both introduces readers to the development of medieval discussion of Posterior analytics prior to Ockham and situates (historically and philosophically) Ockham's discussion within that development. These translations will be of value to scholars working on a variety of areas on Ockham's thought as well as to scholars interested more generally in medieval theories of demonstration, science, and epistemology.” —Susan Brower-Toland, Saint Louis University

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Book SynopsisThis translation of Ernst Cassirer's "The Logic of the Cultural Sciences" (formerly entitled "The Logic of the Humanities") makes the study available to English readers.

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