Combining Texts

Ideas for 'Writing the Book of the World', 'Intro to Oxford Hndbk of Metaphysics' and 'The Courtier and the Heretic'

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3 ideas

5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 1. Overview of Logic
There is a real issue over what is the 'correct' logic [Sider]
     Full Idea: Certain debates over the 'correct' logic are genuine, and not linguistic or conceptual.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 01.3)
     A reaction: It is rather hard to give arguments in favour of this view, but I am pleased to have the authority of Sider with me.
'It is raining' and 'it is not raining' can't be legislated, so we can't legislate 'p or ¬p' [Sider]
     Full Idea: I cannot legislate-true 'It is raining' and I cannot legislate true 'It is not raining', so if I cannot legislate either true then I cannot legislate-true the disjunction 'it is raining or it is not raining'.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 06.5)
     A reaction: This strikes me as a very simple and very persuasive argument against the idea that logic is a mere convention. I take disjunction to be an abstract summary of how the world works. Sider seems sympathetic.
5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 6. Classical Logic
Classical logic is good for mathematics and science, but less good for natural language [Sider]
     Full Idea: Despite its brilliant success in mathematics and fundamental science, classical logic applies uneasily to natural language.
     From: Theodore Sider (Writing the Book of the World [2011], 10.6)
     A reaction: He gives examples of the conditional, and debates over the meaning of 'and', 'or' and 'not', and also names and quantifiers. Many modern philosophical problems result from this conflict.