Thinking about Logic Classic Essays

Thinking about Logic is an accessible and thought-provoking collection of classic articles in the philosophy of logic. An ideal companion to any formal logic course or textbook, this volume illuminates how logic relates to perennial philosophical issues about knowledge, meaning, rationality, and reality. The editors have selected each essay for its brevity, clarity, and impact and have included insightful introductions and discussion questions. The puzzles raised will help readers acquire a more thorough understanding of fundamental logic concepts and a firmer command of the connections between formal logic and other areas of philosophical study: epistemology, philosophy of language, philosophy of science, and metaphysics.

Preface I. LOGIC AND KNOWLEDGE 1 What the Tortoise Said to Achilles Lewis Carroll 2 What Achilles Said to the Tortoise W. J. Rees 3 What Achilles Should Have Said to the Tortoise J. F. Thomson Questions II. LOGIC AND DEFINITION 4 The Runabout Inference-Ticket A. N. Prior 5 Roundabout the Runabout Inference-Ticket J. T. Stevenson 6 Tonk, Plonk and Plink Nuel D. Belnap Questions III. LOGIC AND INFERENCE 7 A Counterexample to Modus Ponens Vann McGee 8 Not a Counterexample to Modus Ponens E. J. Lowe 9 Assumptions and the Supposed Counterexamples to Modus Ponens D. E. Over Questions IV. LOGIC AND FREEDOM 10 'It Was to Be' Gilbert Ryle 11 Fatalism Richard Taylor 12 Time, Truth, and Ability Richard Taylor and Steven M. Cahn Questions V. LOGIC AND REALITY 13 The Justification of Deduction Susan Haack 14 The Problem of Counterfactual Conditionals Nelson Goodman 15 On What There Is Willard V. Quine Questions About the Contributors Source Credits

Steven M Cahn