Combining Texts

Ideas for 'fragments/reports', 'Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy' and 'Vagueness: a global approach'

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3 ideas

10. Modality / B. Possibility / 8. Conditionals / c. Truth-function conditionals
Inferring q from p only needs p to be true, and 'not-p or q' to be true [Russell]
     Full Idea: In order that it be valid to infer q from p, it is only necessary that p should be true and that the proposition 'not-p or q' should be true.
     From: Bertrand Russell (Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy [1919], XIV)
     A reaction: Rumfitt points out that this approach to logical consequences is a denial of any modal aspect, such as 'logical necessity'. Russell observes that for a good inference you must know the disjunction as a whole. Could disjunction be modal?...
All forms of implication are expressible as truth-functions [Russell]
     Full Idea: There is no need to admit as a fundamental notion any form of implication not expressible as a truth-function.
     From: Bertrand Russell (Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy [1919], XIV)
     A reaction: Note that this is from a book about 'mathematical' philosophy. Nevertheless, it seems to have the form of a universal credo for Russell. He wasn't talking about conditionals here. Maybe conditionals are not implications (in isolation, that is).
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / a. Possible worlds
If something is true in all possible worlds then it is logically necessary [Russell]
     Full Idea: Saying that the axiom of reducibility is logically necessary is what would be meant by saying that it is true in all possible worlds.
     From: Bertrand Russell (Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy [1919], XVII)
     A reaction: This striking remark is a nice bridge between Leibniz (about whom Russell wrote a book) and Kripke.