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5. Theory of Logic / B. Logical Consequence / 4. Semantic Consequence |=

[fitting with the truth of some formulae]

16 ideas
Deduction is true when the premises facts necessarily make the conclusion fact true [Peirce]
     Full Idea: The question of whether a deductive argument is true or not is simply the question whether or not the facts stated in the premises could be true in any sort of universe no matter what be true without the fact stated in the conclusion being true likewise.
     From: Charles Sanders Peirce (Reasoning and the Logic of Things [1898], III)
     A reaction: A remarkably modern account, fitting the normal modern view of semantic consequence, and expressing the necessity in the validity in terms of something close to possible worlds.
X follows from sentences K iff every model of K also models X [Tarski]
     Full Idea: The sentence X follows logically from the sentences of the class K if and only if every model of the class K is also a model of the sentence X.
     From: Alfred Tarski (The Concept of Logical Consequence [1936], p.417)
     A reaction: [see Idea 13343 for his account of a 'model'] He is offering to define logical consequence in general, but this definition fits what we now call 'semantic consequence', written |=. This it is standard practice to read |= as 'models'.
Logical consequence is when in any model in which the premises are true, the conclusion is true [Tarski, by Beall/Restall]
     Full Idea: Tarski's 1936 definition of logical consequence is that in any model in which the premises are true, the conclusion is true too (so that no model can make the conclusion false).
     From: report of Alfred Tarski (works [1936]) by JC Beall / G Restall - Logical Consequence 3
     A reaction: So the general idea is that a logical consequence is distinguished by being unstoppable. Sounds good. But then we have monotonic and non-monotonic logics, which (I'm guessing) embody different notions of consequence.
Logical consequence: true premises give true conclusions under all interpretations [Tarski, by Hodges,W]
     Full Idea: Tarski's definition of logical consequence (1936) is that in a fully interpreted formal language an argument is valid iff under any allowed interpretation of its nonlogical symbols, if the premises are true then so is the conclusion.
     From: report of Alfred Tarski (works [1936]) by Wilfrid Hodges - Model Theory 3
     A reaction: The idea that you can only make these claims 'under an interpretation' seems to have had a huge influence on later philosophical thinking.
Validity is a conclusion following for premises, even if there is no proof [Bostock]
     Full Idea: The classical definition of validity counts an argument as valid if and only if the conclusion does in fact follow from the premises, whether or not the argument contains any demonstration of this fact.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 1.2)
     A reaction: Hence validity is given by |= rather than by |-. A common example is 'it is red so it is coloured', which seems true but beyond proof. In the absence of formal proof, you wonder whether validity is merely a psychological notion.
It seems more natural to express |= as 'therefore', rather than 'entails' [Bostock]
     Full Idea: In practice we avoid quotation marks and explicitly set-theoretic notation that explaining |= as 'entails' appears to demand. Hence it seems more natural to explain |= as simply representing the word 'therefore'.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 1.3)
     A reaction: Not sure I quite understand that, but I have trained myself to say 'therefore' for the generic use of |=. In other consequences it seems better to read it as 'semantic consequence', to distinguish it from |-.
Γ|=φ is 'entails'; Γ|= is 'is inconsistent'; |=φ is 'valid' [Bostock]
     Full Idea: If we write Γ |= φ, with one formula to the right, then the turnstile abbreviates 'entails'. For a sequent of the form Γ |= it can be read as 'is inconsistent'. For |= φ we read it as 'valid'.
     From: David Bostock (Intermediate Logic [1997], 1.3)
|= in model-theory means 'logical consequence' - it holds in all models [Hodges,W]
     Full Idea: If every structure which is a model of a set of sentences T is also a model of one of its sentences φ, then this is known as the model-theoretic consequence relation, and is written T |= φ. Not to be confused with |= meaning 'satisfies'.
     From: Wilfrid Hodges (Model Theory [2005], 3)
     A reaction: See also Idea 10474, which gives the other meaning of |=, as 'satisfies'. The symbol is ALSO used in propositional logical, to mean 'tautologically implies'! Sort your act out, logicians.
Semantic consequence is ineffective in second-order logic [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: It follows from Gödel's incompleteness theorem that the semantic consequence relation of second-order logic is not effective. For example, the set of logical truths of any second-order logic is not recursively enumerable. It is not even arithmetic.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], Pref)
     A reaction: I don't fully understand this, but it sounds rather major, and a good reason to avoid second-order logic (despite Shapiro's proselytising). See Peter Smith on 'effectively enumerable'.
If a logic is incomplete, its semantic consequence relation is not effective [Shapiro]
     Full Idea: Second-order logic is inherently incomplete, so its semantic consequence relation is not effective.
     From: Stewart Shapiro (Foundations without Foundationalism [1991], 1.2.1)
Γ |= φ for sentences if φ is true when all of Γ is true [Zalabardo]
     Full Idea: A propositional logic sentence is a 'logical consequence' of a set of sentences (written Γ |= φ) if for every admissible truth-assignment all the sentences in the set Γ are true, then φ is true.
     From: José L. Zalabardo (Introduction to the Theory of Logic [2000], §2.4)
     A reaction: The definition is similar for predicate logic.
Γ |= φ if φ is true when all of Γ is true, for all structures and interpretations [Zalabardo]
     Full Idea: A formula is the 'logical consequence' of a set of formulas (Γ |= φ) if for every structure in the language and every variable interpretation of the structure, if all the formulas within the set are true and the formula itself is true.
     From: José L. Zalabardo (Introduction to the Theory of Logic [2000], §3.5)
Formal semantics defines validity as truth preserved in every model [Williamson]
     Full Idea: An aim of formal semantics is to define in mathematical terms a set of models such that an argument is valid if and only if it preserves truth in every model in the set, for that will provide us with a precise standard of validity.
     From: Timothy Williamson (Vagueness [1994], 5.3)
Logical consequence is either necessary truth preservation, or preservation based on interpretation [Beall/Restall]
     Full Idea: Two different views of logical consequence are necessary truth-preservation (based on modelling possible worlds; favoured by Realists), or truth-preservation based on the meanings of the logical vocabulary (differing in various models; for Anti-Realists).
     From: JC Beall / G Restall (Logical Consequence [2005], 2)
     A reaction: Thus Dummett prefers the second view, because the law of excluded middle is optional. My instincts are with the first one.
A sentence follows from others if they always model it [Beall/Restall]
     Full Idea: The sentence X follows logically from the sentences of the class K if and only if every model of the class K is also a model of the sentence X.
     From: JC Beall / G Restall (Logical Pluralism [2006], 3.2)
     A reaction: This why the symbol |= is often referred to as 'models'.
'Roses are red; therefore, roses are colored' seems truth-preserving, but not valid in a system [Koslicki]
     Full Idea: 'Roses are red; therefore, roses are colored' may be necessarily truth-preserving, but it would not be classified as logically valid by standard systems of logic.
     From: Kathrin Koslicki (The Structure of Objects [2008], 9.3.2)