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Single Idea 11021

[filed under theme 5. Theory of Logic / E. Structures of Logic / 2. Logical Connectives / a. Logical connectives ]

Full Idea

Prior dislike the holism inherent in the claim that the meaning of a logical connective was determined by the inference patterns into which it validly fitted. ...His notorious example of 'tonk' (A → A-tonk-B → B) was a reductio of the view.

Gist of Idea

Prior rejected accounts of logical connectives by inference pattern, with 'tonk' his absurd example

Source

report of Arthur N. Prior (The Runabout Inference Ticket [1960]) by Stephen Read - Thinking About Logic Ch.8

Book Ref

Read,Stephen: 'Thinking About Logic' [OUP 1995], p.225

A Reaction

[The view being attacked was attributed to Gentzen]

The 4 ideas from 'The Runabout Inference Ticket'

17896 We need to know the meaning of 'and', prior to its role in reasoning [Prior,AN, by Belnap]
17898 Prior's 'tonk' is inconsistent, since it allows the non-conservative inference A |- B [Belnap on Prior,AN]
11021 Prior rejected accounts of logical connectives by inference pattern, with 'tonk' his absurd example [Prior,AN, by Read]
13836 Maybe introducing or defining logical connectives by rules of inference leads to absurdity [Prior,AN, by Hacking]