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Aristotle's Modal Proofs: Prior Analytics A8-22 in Predicate Logic: 68 (The New Synthese Historical Library, 68) - Hardcover

Book 14 of 60: Synthese Historical Library

Rini, Adriane

 
9789400700499: Aristotle's Modal Proofs: Prior Analytics A8-22 in Predicate Logic: 68 (The New Synthese Historical Library, 68)
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 9400700490 ISBN 13: 9789400700499
Publisher: Springer, 2010

Synopsis

Aristotle’s modal syllogistic is his study of patterns of reasoning about necessity and possibility. Many scholars think the modal syllogistic is incoherent, a ‘realm of darkness’. Others think it is coherent, but devise complicated formal modellings to mimic Aristotle’s results. This volume provides a simple interpretation of Aristotle’s modal syllogistic using standard predicate logic. Rini distinguishes between red terms, such as ‘horse’, ‘plant’ or ‘man’, which name things in virtue of features those things must have, and green terms, such as ‘moving’, which name things in virtue of their non-necessary features. By applying this distinction to the Prior Analytics, Rini shows how traditional interpretive puzzles about the modal syllogistic melt away and the simple structure of Aristotle’s own proofs is revealed. The result is an applied logic which provides needed links between Aristotle’s views of science and logical demonstration. The volume is particularly valuable to researchers and students of the history of logic, Aristotle’s theory of modality, and the philosophy of logic in general.

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About the Author

Adriane Rini received an A.B. in philosophy at Smith College, and a Ph.D. at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is the author of numerous articles on the history of modal logic. In 2003, she was awarded a Marsden Grant from the Royal Society of New Zealand for her research on Aristotle’s logic. Subsequently, she has been working on a book, together with M.J. Cresswell, about the world-time parallel. In 2010, Rini is working on a project on the development of Quine’s attitude to modal logic, for which she has been awarded a four month fellowship from the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts. Rini has taught at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, the University of California-Davis, Texas A&M University, Victoria University Wellington, and at Massey University, where she is currently a senior lecturer in philosophy.

From the Back Cover

Aristotle’s modal syllogistic is his study of patterns of reasoning about necessity and possibility. Many scholars think the modal syllogistic is incoherent, a ‘realm of darkness’. Others think it is coherent, but devise complicated formal modellings to mimic Aristotle’s results. This volume provides a simple interpretation of Aristotle’s modal syllogistic using standard predicate logic. Rini distinguishes between red terms, such as ‘horse’, ‘plant’ or ‘man’, which name things in virtue of features those things must have, and green terms, such as ‘moving’, which name things in virtue of their non-necessary features. By applying this distinction to the Prior Analytics, Rini shows how traditional interpretive puzzles about the modal syllogistic melt away and the simple structure of Aristotle’s own proofs is revealed. The result is an applied logic which provides needed links between Aristotle’s views of science and logical demonstration. The volume is particularly valuable to researchers and students of the history of logic, Aristotle’s theory of modality, and the philosophy of logic in general.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Publisher
Springer
Publication date
2010
Language
English
ISBN 10 
9400700490
ISBN 13 
9789400700499
Binding
Hardcover
Number of pages
252