Product Description
Designed for both advanced undergraduate and graduate students, this groundbreaking work by a leading philosopher of logic is ideal for courses in logical literacy. Logic for Philosophy covers basic approaches to logic (including proof theory and especially model theory); extensions of standard logic that are important in philosophy; and some elementary philosophy of logic. Easily accessible to students without extensive mathematics backgrounds, this lucid and vividly written text emphasizes breadth of coverage rather than depth. Featuring numerous exercises, answers, and helpful hints, it concisely and effectively introduces students to the logic they need to know in order to read contemporary philosophy journal articles. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sider's: Logic for Philosophy

A superb introduction for students of contemporary Philosophy who wish to advance beyond the elementary level of logical "literacy".
Clear, well written,and adequately comprehensive, "Logic for Philosophy" is an inviting text-book for those who appreciate Philosophy's more technical side. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Philosophical Logic review
Book did not come with the light blue cover; don't recall reading in the product description that the cover was not included. Otherwise, no problems.

Great entry on wallaby logic!
I bought this book for its in depth discussion of wallaby logic and it completely satisfied me! A must buy for any enquirers of wallaby logic! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Philosophy of Logic
For anyone wanting to learn more about how the mechinary of modern logical system works and functions, Quine's "Philosophy of Logic" is a perfect text.While at times the wording can be extremely technical, this text reveals many important keys to understanding modern logic.In addition, if anyone wants a better understanding of Alfred Tarski's philosophical project with Convention T (especially for those wanting to or are studying Donald Davidson), this is a great explanatory text and provides the necessary insights needed to understand Tarski's truth definitions.I would highly recommend this book.

Quine's hobbyhorse: words without meanings
This little monograph of only 100 pages is terse and concise, and it requires careful reading.

Quine's metaphysics, such as it is, is realist.But his philosophy of logic is nominalist.Between linguistic word and referenced object he does not recognize meanings, concepts or propositions in the mind, nor does he recognize attributes or properties in the objects.

Readers seeking alternative ideas may wish to consult nonnominalist views.Consider: (1) Alonzo Church's "Formulation of the Logic of Sense and Denotation" in the book, Structure, Method and Meaning: Essays in Honor of Henry M. Sheffer. (ed. Henle, 1951) or (2) Rudolf Carnap's book, Meaning and Necessity: A Study in Semantics and Modal Logic (Midway Reprint) ([1947] 1964), which sets forth the thesis of intensions (meanings) and extensions (objects).

Quine dismisses meanings and propositions, because he rejects synonymy.Perfect synonymy is impossible because reference is determined contextually by the language system - which Quine elsewhere calls the "web of beliefs" - and no two words always occur in exactly the same context.In this respect Quine's philosophy of language is closer to the views of modern linguists.Linguists study natural languages like English, and typically ignore the views of symbolic logicians like Church and Carnap, who create artificial languages.

But few linguists are nominalists, because the systematic character of language does not necessarily imply the rejection of meaning altogether. It only implies rejection of language-transcendent meaning, because it makes meanings system-determined.A unilanguage dictionary exhibits part of the linguistic system.Furthermore too many persons recognize the mental experience of meaning to reject it as illusory.Quine's rejection of meaning is a hobbyhorse.

For more of my views on Quine see my book titled History of Twentieth-Century Philosophy of Science - google the book at my web site called philsci for free downloads (especially BOOK III) - and also see my other reviews at this Amazon web site.

Thomas J. Hickey

Good intro to some of Quine's philosophy
This is indeed easier and better organized than Quine's other books. I think it better written than "Methods of Logic."
Much of "Philosophy of Logic" is about the sort of ideas that should be included in university logic texts, but aren't (the first part of Church's 1956 text is an exception to this sweeping assessment, surprising because written by a mathematician). POL Is also a nice introduction to a range of issues in analytical philosophy.

It is the unusual lay person who would find this a profitable read. I say this even though I find the philosophical basis of logic and mathematics deeply fascinating, but it is a fascination I can share with almost no one face to face, and I teach college!

While this is a fine introduction to Quine, the lectures he gave in Spain at 84 years of age, "From Stimulus to Science," may be better. I won't deny the weirdness of some of Quine's views. But Quine is less willfully eccentric than many other academic philosphers. Part of the weirdness is that Quine is the closest thing there is to a home grown American member of the Vienna Circle. Quine also shared the instinctive conservatism of the small town midwest he hailed from (Akron OH). This conservatism extended to his views on logic: eg his disdain for modal logic (and for all intensional notions as well), and his dismissal of higher order logic as set theory in disguise. Quine also remained pre-Godelian in many ways. His Mathematical Logic is a sort of last hurrah for Principia Mathematica. He never appreciated the rise of recursive methods or of model theory (even though he admired Tarski). While quite friendly with Carnap, he never understood Carnap's semantical approach.

His 3 logic texts are not a good place to learn metatheory: consistency, completeness, decidability, categoricity, independence.

Quine took little interest in logic before Frege. In his indifference to the history of ideas, he was typical of analytical types. He was 87 when he finally published a short essay recognizing the achievements of C S Peirce in the 19th century. Among British philosophers of his generation, he admired a fine fellow: Peter Geach. Quine co-discovered virtual sets and relations, but ignored mereology. He revered science and math, but it is unclear how much of it he really knew. Privately, he believed that philosophy should limit itself to logic, epistemology, philosophy of science, and the chaste metaphysics he himself practiced.

Quine was not a hopeless conservative. Around 1950, he jumped on the natural deduction bandwagon, and walked away from axiomatics. Later, he walked away from natural deduction, but never cottoned on to truth trees. He was intrigued by Haskell Curry's combinatory logic, and invented a modest rival, calling it predicate functor logic. Quine's set theory, underappreciated in mathematical circles, is downright radical. Finally, Quine's approach to Godel's Theorem, while turgid, contained the seeds of the much more elegant later approach of Smullyan.

I know what you're thinking about . . .
. . . but it isn't so, nohow.This is a superb little book, and an ideal introduction not only to Quine's philosophy of logic, but to his entire philosophy.This is so for at least three reasons.One: though written with Quine's usual brilliant style, it is more accessible than, say, "Word and Object", partly because it is based on a college lecture series.Indeed, I think it is one of the very few Quine books ("Methods of Logic" is another) that should be accessible to any motivated and reasonably smart undergraduate who has had a first course in logic, though there is much for the professional to learn, too.Two: it covers many topics that are important not just in the philosophy of logic, but in (among other areas) philosophy of language, philosophy of mathematics, and metaphysics--most of the range of Quine's philosophical concerns, in fact.Yet all the material is woven together with consummate skill and clarity, so much so that one needs no special familiarity with the issues to understand them or to perceive their connections.Three: no one understands the topics of this book better than Quine.(This is not to say that his philosophical views are right, of course.)

There is little need for me to explain the topics of this book, since the contents page (which is available from Amazon) is pretty self-explanatory.Nor do I want to spoil the experience of reading a master logician and philosopher by producing a ham-handed summary of this book.But if you are interested in understanding logic and language, as well getting acquainted with Quine (or indeed, contemporary analytic philosophy), then trust me: you WANT this book.One warning, though.Quine may have been a genius, but he had very weird (and, I think, wrong-headed) views on certain subjects.Don't be seduced into thinking he must be right because he's a genius.There is much to be learned from great philosophers, but uncritical acceptance of their theories is a disastrous policy.Having issued this caveat, I say again: this is a superb book.Enjoy! ... Read more

Product Description
LOGIC AND PHILOSOPHY: A MODERN INTRODUCTION, 11E is a comprehensive introduction to logic that is both rigorous and user-friendly. Numerous carefully crafted exercise sets accompanied by crisp, clear exposition take you from sentential logic through first-order predicate logic, the theory of descriptions, and identity. As the title suggests, this is a book devoted not merely to logic; you also will encounter an abundance of philosophy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Good value
This book was a great value, fast shipping, and very easy to order on the site.

Great condition- fast delivery
Delivery was fast without any issues, and the product came as described.Would recommend.

ExcellentBook!
This book covers many different aspects on logics, from basic to advanced levels. It has many exercises and examples which make it easy to understand the different concepts presented. I'd suggest it for both teachers and students.

Exellent Introduction to Logic
This review refers to the seventh edition of this book; I suspect that the later editions advertised by amazon.com are even better.
This is a clear, comprehensive, well-organised and friendly introduction to logic. Part one of the book is on sentential logic, part two is on predicate logic, and part three is on traditional logic, inductive logic and modal, epistemic and deontic logic, among other topics. The book thus focuses on sentential and predicate logic, and the sections on modal, epistemic and deontic logic introduce these fields very briefly.
The parts on sentential and predicate logic cover symbolisation, truth tables, truth trees and derivations. The material is explained clearly, there are walk-though examples, glossaries, and exercises, with answers to even numbered exercises available at the back of the book.
The title of the book suggests that it is an introduction to both logic and philosophy. Of course, logical competence is crucial to the pursuit of analytic philosophy, and there are also sections on the problem of induction and philosophical problems with symbolic logic, but there are few other philosophical topics discussed. One must look elsewhere for an introduction to other philosophical problems, where one can begin to apply the logical techniques imparted by this book.
Popular introductions to logic with similar coverage to this book include Gensler's "Introduction to Logic" and Copi's "Introduction to Logic". I recommend either of these books or this book as an introduction to logic.

Best Book I've Read on the Subject
This is the third textbook I've read since taking Logic and Critical Thinking in college more than ten years ago.All three of the textbooks I've owned have been very powerful tools in teaching what forms the basis for mathematical and scientific proofs.However, this one by far is the most accessible.Because logic is a mathematical field, abstract mathematical principles can be difficult to grasp.Furthermore, texbooks in general are rarely entertaining.Kahane and Tidman have done an incredible job not putting the readers to sleep.At no point is doing a chapter penance for being interested in logic. ... Read more

Product Description
Jennifer Fisher's ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF LOGIC explores questions about logic often overlooked by philosophers. Which of the many different logics available to us is right? How would we know? What makes a logic right in the first place? Is logic really a good guide to human reasoning? An ideal companion text for any course in symbolic logic, this lively and accessible book explains important logical concepts, introduces classical logic and its problems and alternatives, and reveals the rich and interesting philosophical issues that arise in exploring the fundamentals of logic.THE WADSWORTH PHILOSOPHICAL TOPICS SERIES (under the general editorship of Robert Talisse, Vanderbilt University) presents readers with concise, timely, and insightful introductions to a variety of traditional and contemporary philosophical subjects. With this series, students of philosophy will be able to discover the richness of philosophical inquiry across a wide array of concepts, including hallmark philosophical themes and themes typically underrepresented in mainstream philosophy publishing. Written by a distinguished list of scholars who have garnered particular recognition for their excellence in teaching, this series presents the vast sweep of today's philosophical exploration in highly accessible and affordable volumes. These books will prove valuable to philosophy teachers and their students as well as to other readers who share a general interest in philosophy. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1931, the young Kurt Gödel published his First Incompleteness Theorem, which tells us that, for any sufficiently rich theory of arithmetic, there are some arithmetical truths the theory cannot prove. This remarkable result is among the most intriguing (and most misunderstood) in logic. Gödel also outlined an equally significant Second Incompleteness Theorem. How are these Theorems established, and why do they matter?  Peter Smith answers these questions by presenting an unusual variety of proofs for the First Theorem, showing how to prove the Second Theorem, and exploring a family of related results (including some not easily available elsewhere). The formal explanations are interwoven with discussions of the wider significance of the two Theorems. This book will be accessible to philosophy students with a limited formal background. It is equally suitable for mathematics students taking a first course in mathematical logic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Introduction to Godel's Theorems
I have read much of the 2007 edition and have found it very illuminating and helpful.However, Peter Smith says on his website that there now exists a fourth2009 reprinting with many significant corrections and additions.Amazon's website description of the book mentions only the first printing.I have asked Amazon to confirm that the book it is now selling is this fourth corrected reprinting, but, alas, without success. Does anyone know whether Amazon is currently selling the fourth reprinting? An Introduction to Gödel's Theorems (Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy)

Good Book, Wrong Title
This is a terrific book that the reader can learn a lot from. The author presents Gödel's theorems - in fact, he provides many different proofs of the theorems - along with various strenghtenings and weakenings of the main results. In the many historical and conceptual asides the author does a great job of explaining the significance of Gödel's theorems and of directing the reader's attention to the big picture.

However, I don't think the book is a good *introduction* to Gödel's theorems. A student approaching these theorems for the first time will be overwhelmed by the amount of information here. Even more problematic is the author's adoption of a rather informal way of writing. This does make the book very readable but I think would frustrate the beginning student who needs a precise grasp of new concepts. For example, I don't think a student innocent of primitive recursive functions would be able to grasp how they work from the chapter here. This problem is further compounded by the lack of exercises.

In sum, the book is highly recommended for anyone looking to deepen and broaden their understanding of Gödel's theorems. However, I think that anyone who hasn't already seen a rigorous presentation of those theorems might find the book frustrating.

the best thing out there
For a couple of decades now, students who had completed their first logic class and dabbled in a little bit of metatheory (perhaps soundness and completeness) were forced to avail themselves of Boolos and Jeffrey's (fourth edition with Burgess) "Computability and Logic." Unfortunately, the third edition presented much of the material in too brief a manner, resulting in a big jump from lower level logic to the material covered. The fourth edition is much longer, but no more easier to teach to talented undergraduates.More recently, Epstein's book on computability was an improvement in this regard, but its logical coverage was much less.

Smith's book should now be the canonical text.First, the discussion and proofs are astoundingly clear to students who haven't done much logic beyond their first class.Pick any topic from B & J and Smith, for example primitive recursiveness, the tie between p.r. axiomatizability and axiomatizability via Craig's theorem, etc. and the discussion and proofs in Smith will be clearer, more accessible, and more clearly tied to the other relevant concepts.Second, the coverage is exactly what is needed to understand both theorems and the most important consequences and extensions.Third, the way he ties the disparate topics together (for example the informal proofs through Chapter 5 and their rigorizaiton through Chapter 18) is just fantastic.This is really important for helping the reader develop a deeper understanding of things.If you just pile theorem upon theorem it's easy for the reader accept them as true without developing any logical insight and appreciation of the landscape.

I don't know if Cambridge would allow this, but in the next edition they should seriously think about adding exercise sections like B & J and Epstein.If they did, I think this book would eclipse the other two for classroom uses.

It's not just for students, either.A colleague and I were arguing about something and we picked up Smith's work rathern than either of Smullyan's to figure out a point relevant to the debate.I find that my grasp of the relevant proofs is much cleaer for reading Smith (my colleague is much, much better at logic than me, but with Smith's help I won the debate).

It is both extraordinary and a cause for celebration when someone can combine in a logic text this level of coverage, rigor, accessibility, and funness of read.I don't think there is a precedent actually.In short, Smith's work is a service to Lady Philosophy.Joe Bob says check it out.

An introduction to Gödel's theorems by Peter Smith
Very rigurous but simultaneously very understandable (...for this kind of theorems that have many technical dificulties is much to say...) I enjoy (very much) to read this book(I took it to the beach during my vacations!.) ... Read more

Product Description
This definitive survey of the hottest issues in inductive logic sets the stage for further classroom discussion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Introduction to Inductive Logic
This book, in its 4th edition, was one of the first textbooks on
inductive logic I read. Here is the table of contents:

1. Basics of Logic
2. Probability and Inductive Logic
3. The Traditional Problem of Induction
4. The Goodman Paradox and the New Riddle of Induction
5. Mill's Methods of Experimental Inquiry and the Nature of Causality
6. The Probability Calculus
7. Kinds of Probability
8. Probability and Scientific Inductive Logic
Answers to Selected Exercises
Index

I did not read this textbook as a textbook for a class, but instead read it independently. I also did all of the exercises in the entire book, and used the answers at the end of the book to verify my answers whenever possible. Overall, I was very pleased with the textbook. The explanations were mostly clear, and the progression of topics from the simple to complex was appropriate.

I have two minor complaints about the book. The first regards chapter 7, where Skyrms discusses, among other topics, the chance function as well as the von Neumann-Morgenstern theory of utility. I don't know if this is a statement about the textbook or the reader, but I felt the explanations of those two topics were less clear than other sections of the book. I was able to compensate for that by doing Internet searches on those two topics, however, so it wasn't a major inconvenience.

The second complaint regards the answers to exercises. As the other reviewer noted, the back of the book is incorrect when it states there are "completely worked out solutions at the back of the book for every other problem." Off the top of my head, I would say that is probably true 80-85% of the time, with most of the exceptions occurring towards the end of the book. This is unfortunate, since the most complex exercises are naturally found towards the end of the book. In particular, the exercise for section VII.6 (on chance) on p. 150 is enormously complicated, and cries out for an answer. There should have been a second exercise for that section, so that at least one exercise would have had a fully worked out solution in the back of the book.

Despite these two complaints, however, this is still an excellent book. Overall, Skyrms has provided his readers and students with a helpful introduction to inductive logic.

A Good Introduction to Induction
This is a good introduction to logic, inductive and, to a lesser extent, deductive. It probably serves better as a textbook than as an aid to individual learning, but under the proper conditions and with the proper reader, it could serve both. I liked it best when it was explaining the truth tables and the rules of the calculus of probability. Particularly interesting are the practical applications in the exercises, especially in cards and dice and, to a lesser extent, horse racing. The concepts of utility and belief need amplification because they come off too briefly in relation to their importance. No one who has mastered this book would ever have trouble calculating the exact value of a bet - a benefit of some importance to us gamblers. I have never seen or heard of the theory of marginal value applied to money. It certainly applies to other things, like water. Too little water makes water very valuable, enough is enough, and too much gives water a negative value (as in our current flooding in Texas). Skyrms is right about some aspects of money: Too little and it hurts. Don't believe me? Try walking around New York City on the weekend with only a dime in your pocket. A poor man would be a fool to risk $1000 on an even money bet. Because if he lost, it would hurt a lot. A rich man could lose that bet and not suffer at all. And of course, enough money is good. Therefore, money does have a relative value. Whether it has a marginal value (too much is bad) is debatable. Some things that might be corrected in the next addition: The answers to the exercises should have pages numbers for more easy reference. The cover is wrong in saying there are answers for every other problem. That is only partially true and in fact some exercises have no answers eg VIII 3 has no answers to any exercise. And Symes is wrong in assuming that evaluating all the evidence doesn't cost anything (page 154). It costs time and trouble. Whether it is worth it would depend on the situation. ... Read more

Product Description
Logic concepts are more mainstream than you may realize. There’s logic every place you look and in almost everything you do, from deciding which shirt to buy to asking your boss for a raise, and even to watching television, where themes of such shows as CSI and Numbers incorporate a variety of logistical studies. Logic For Dummies explains a vast array of logical concepts and processes in easy-to-understand language that make everything clear to you, whether you’re a college student of a student of life. You’ll find out about:

• Formal Logic
• Syllogisms
• Constructing proofs and refutations
• Propositional and predicate logic
• Modal and fuzzy logic
• Symbolic logic
• Deductive and inductive reasoning

Logic For Dummies tracks an introductory logic course at the college level. Concrete, real-world examples help you understand each concept you encounter, while fully worked out proofs and fun logic problems encourage you students to apply what you’ve learned. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The most readable introductory-level book on logic I've read
If you're a certain breed of nerd/geek (e.g., me), there's always a longing to nail down "logic" so as to better evaluate statements and arguments that one comes across in books, on blogs and webboards, etc.

In an attempt to fulfill this longing, I have purchased several introductory texts on logic in the past, which were somewhat helpful. However, I noticed gaps in the material presented in these books that made it difficult to make it all the way through. It seemed the material wasn't dumbed down enough.

Enter Logic for Dummies.

This is the most readable introductory-level book on logic I've read to date. In typical Dummies fashion, few paragraphs in the book exceed more than three or four sentences and the author is always indicating how the current material builds on what has already come and how it leads to what will eventually follow.

The focus in Logic for Dummies is sentential logic and quantifier logic - formal/symbolic logic. So if you're looking for a book on informal logic, this book is not it. You'll have to go elsewhere for that.

Despite my generally positive review, it should be pointed out that if you don't have a mathematical-oriented mind and a strong enthusiasm for the subject matter, chances are you won't make it through this book. Formal/symbolic logic is not for the faint of heart. But even so, this book may be useful as a handy reference for such folks.

Easy to understand logic!
This book makes it easy to understant logic.It is a very nice way to learn.Starts simple, but in a few chapters you will find yourself thinking in a different language!

Very good book.

Simple Logic
Though I have not yet finished this book, I already know that it will be a useful and interesting challenge.I am reading it only for my own interest and am not in any class or group setting.The explanations are easy to understand and are straight forward.This is a new area for me but this book will make a valuable contribution to my knowledge.
KSR

Good for leisure reading
This is a nice book for newcomers to logic. It reads easily. Unfortunately there are a dozen or so mistakes that may make the first time logic student confused and frustrated.

Beware of typos and errors
While I thought this book was laid-out well and served as a good introduction, I was disappointed to see such a large number of errors in the book.It made me wonder if anyone had bothered to proof-read it at all.These mistakes can potentially be severely misleading to the reader unless you are alert and recognize what Zegarelli meant to say.

For example, he clearly lays out in his truth table that value for the biconditional, F <--> T is F.Yet two pages later, there is an error that states that F <--> T is T.In another spot, a parentheses is omitted which completely alters the value of the statement.In another, the statement he is evaluating contains a biconditional <--> but the sentence below the statement refers to an &-operator that isn't even in the statement!And then there's this one: he states, "But when P is true and Q is false, the statement is false", when in actuality he has completely mixed up the truth values of P and Q according to his own truth table.Needless to say, unless you already have a background in logic or are adept enough to pick up on these errors, the reader can easily be confused by these apparent contradictions.

Potential buyers should also be aware that there are a large number of references to pop-culture such as Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Lopez, and Hell's Kitchen.I'm sure Zegarelli uses these as a poor attempt at humor and to try to make readers relate to the subject-matter, but his assumptions about the knowledge and interests of his audience may not necessarily be applicable to everyone.

Despite these misgivings, the book does give a good basic refresher to the material at hand. ... Read more

Product Description
Many commentaries have been devoted to Lewis Carroll's masterpiece, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The interpretations range from Freudian analysis to speculations about the real-life people who may have inspired the animal characters.

In this unique approach to interpreting Alice, the fruit of ten years of research, Dr. Bernard M. Patten shows that Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, aka Lewis Carroll, fused his passion for logic, mathematics, and games with his love of words and nonsense stories to produce a multifaceted, intricately structured work of literature. Patten provides a chapter-by-chapter skeleton key to Alice, which meticulously demonstrates how its various episodes reveal Dodgson's profound knowledge of the rules of clear thinking, informal and formal logic, symbolic logic, and human nature.

As Patten makes clear, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, far from being just an entertaining children's book, is more complex and deeply reflective of Dodgson's character than it may seem. By making an effort to understand its deeper layers, both children and adults may profit from this masterful tale by learning to think better and, along the way, having fun.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

An Accessible, Enjoyable, but Fundamentally Flawed Logic Primer
It seems to be difficult to write a truly fair review of this book.Several of the reviews for this book seem to be focusing on its take on religion and politics - if you agree with the author's stance on religion and politics, these reviews seem to say, you will enjoy this book.If you don't, you won't.This may or may not be true for you, but the very fact that this discussion exists in reviews for a book about Alice in Wonderland, of all things, demonstrates the book's biggest problem.

I approached The Logic of Alice both as a huge fan of all things Carroll, and as someone very familiar with and fascinated by logic.Based merely on the title, cover, and first few pages, it seemed as though this book might have been written just for me!However, as I dug deeper into its pages, I found that it was not quite what I had hoped.Here's the positive and negative for the potential buyer:

Pros:
- The author is an excellent writer.The book is well-written and a joy to read.
- The author is entertaining.He rarely fails to make even the dull and abstract premises of logic interesting.What's more, he expertly makes even some of the more complex aspects of logic and reason instantly accessible to the average reader.
- Basic and intermediate concepts of logic are presented well and thoroughly, if a bit repetitively and painstakingly, explained.

Cons:
- The author certainly seems to be more interested in presenting his political and religious philosophy than he is in discussing Carroll or what logic is.In fact, after one gets past the first twenty pages, the titular subject matter sometimes is reduced to an afterthought in favor of the author's strong statements on his personal views.
- The book is a bit redundant - with so much potential subject matter within the pages of Carroll's two books, it's a shame the author decided to spend so much time re-visiting and repeating certain points.
- The author falls into logical fallacies himself, which hurts his credibility.At several points in the book, the author will make unequivocal statements based on his own opinions which, when you apply the author's own presented rules of logic to them, do not hold up.He will surprisingly do this in both his political digressions, and in completely unrelated examples of concepts of reason.The author is highly opinionated, not just in the political and religious realms but in all things, and has built myriad logical constructs of varying quality to justify his beliefs. Often his logic is valid; other times it is most certainly not. The author's rather forceful use of such a lack of logic, in a book in which he is teaching logic, makes the book as a whole difficult to take too seriously.

As much as I truly want to enjoy and recommend this book, I find I can't.It's a wonderful and valid premise, simply explained, and it's written by an undeniably talented author.Sadly, whether you agree or disagree with the politics, digressions, and unrelated arguments within, there's just too much of it... and a few too many fallacies... and not enough Clear Thinking in Wonderland.

Curious and Curiouser
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it quite by accident, but it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. He makes logic and logical reasoning very clear, interesting, and most amazingly, fun. Buy this book it you want to learn about logic, clear thinking, and to find out exactly how far down the rabbit hole goes...

Defending Reason against the Unreasonable
Reading the reviews of Bernard Patten's The Logic of Alice after having read the original is a true test of one's sanity. Because if one believes the third review, and one reads the book, you have a true crisis: are you and the reviewer reading the same book???

Patten is incredibly insightful into the logical issues that Lewis Carrol wrestled with, giving us the truest available reading of that work's complex logic. For a reviewer to posit his own religious biases, then search for the tiny shards that might conceivable bear negatively against them, is for that reviewer to engage is the shoddiest form of intellectual assassination.

I'm delighted with this book. And if you think that the writer's own religious views are relevant, take another look at this work without having your eye poisoned by a religious nut!

Not for the weak in Spirit
What I find interesting is there are some who hold their faith as if it is something so fragile they cannot test it, confront it, or determine its truth.Science seems to clash with Christians as the null hypothesis would have to be "there is no God."It doesn't mean there is no God.It means to test His existence, one must approach the hypothesis there is none.All of a sudden there are defenses going up all over the place!Which is a red (not communist) flag for insecurity within their beliefs.If a person is that insecure in their belief of God, they should NEVER read this book!BUT, if you enjoy seeing how truth can be twisted into something it is not by illogical thinking -- even in religion -- (I believe this is what Satan did to Eve in the garden?) one might find both enlightenment and deeper faith in TRUTH rather than doctrine by perusing this book.Maybe some might find it light reading.But I needed my old book of "Alice in Wonderland" and my Strong's to plow through its depths.It is only my suspicion, but it may be Dr. Patten has only scratched the surface of his intellect just giving us a glimpse of how deep his thoughts really are through the fanciful words in this "childhood book."

Logic, easier than I thought.
Reading logic intimidates me with technicalities but Logic of Alice was easier to read than I thought. Multiple examples of statements by Alice and the colorful characters are absurb.
The author unrattles them by explaining the illogical thinking and pointing out the type of logic error. He then connects the reader to present day thinking examples that inflict our daily lives. I found in this manner I don't find myself preoccupied in memorizing the classification of logic but rather associated with the classical statemnets of Alice which is memorably vivid and if I need to know a specific logic error I just look it up in the index.
The book also entertains the reader with historical information, it was a delight to read about Carol Lewis and few glimpses of his dairy.
The author seduces the reader to learn by using his wit; I found each page refresing; I liked the large headings, sometimes up to three in some pages.
I was impressed to read the extensive selected bibliograghy with the authors own writen reviews. It reflects the scholarly work. Cleverly brilliant. ... Read more

Product Description
The Concept of Logical Consequence is a critical evaluation of the model-theoretic and proof-theoretic characterizations of logical consequence that proceeds from Alfred Tarskis characterization of the informal concept of logical consequence. This study evaluates and expands upon ideas set forth in Tarskis 1936 article on logical consequence, and appeals to his 1935 article on truth. Classical logic, as well as extensions and deviations are considered. Issues in the philosophy of logic such as the nature of logical constants, the philosophical significance of completeness, and the metaphysical and epistemological implications of logic are discussed in the context of the examination of the concept of logical consequence. ... Read more

Product Description
When first published in 1959, this book revolutionized contemporary thinking about science and knowledge. It remains the one of the most widely read books about science to come out of the twentieth century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

good brain exercise
Points to consider when reading this book:

First, it is a book about logic and not about science. It was written nearly 80 years ago in response to the questions raised when the mechanistic Newtonian universe was seemingly turned upside down by the introduction of quantum mechanics, and in particular this is a response to the propagation of Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. The question it addresses is: of what does our scientific knowledge logically consist? Note the key word, "logically."

Popper basically makes two arguments. One is that there is no inductive logic leading to scientific hypotheses. Again, note the word "logic." This does not mean that in formulating hypotheses scientists do not reason backwards from experience. Of course they do. We all know the famous examples of Newton's apple and Einstein's clock tower. What Popper means to point out is that there are no formal logical rules that govern such reasoning. In other words, there is nothing inherent in the apple that must of necessity lead to the laws of gravity, and nothing inherent in the clock tower that must of necessity lead to the theory of relativity. So why call it inductive logic? Better, argues Popper, to call it "psychologism." In other words, we don't really know what was going on in Newton's or Einstein's mind, but we do know that it was not formal logic.

His second argument is that scientific hypotheses can not be proved to be logically true. Again, note the word "logically." Logically, all we can do is falsify them, and that the wider the field of falsification is, the better they can be "corroborated." (Assuming, of course, that they are in fact not falsified). And that it is this "corroboration" that is the closest we can get to proof. In other words, a hypothesis can never be proved, only disproved, and that in the strictly logical sense, a hypothesis can never make a prediction about a singular occurrence, (much as we can not say that a six will necessarily show up on our first six rolls of the dice). Again, this does not mean that in the real world we do not or can not make scientific predictions. Indeed, if we did not, we would have no computers, no satellites, no automobiles, not much of anything really. It's just that in an infinite world, with an infinite number of occurrences, there is no way to logically - there's that magic word again - prove that in at least one case the scientific theories we use to underpin such technology will not fail.

Of course, Popper is a much deeper thinker than I am, and his arguments more profound, but that's the essence of it the way I see it, and so I guess it's up to you as to whether you are willing to read several hundred pages of this type of thinking. I was. If nothing else, it's good exercise for the brain.

Note: I just wanted to add that if you find yourself getting lost as you plow through this text -- I did myself more times than I care to admit -- don't give up but keep plodding ahead. Eventually you'll come back to familiar ground. And if all else fails, Popper does a very nice job of summing everything up in the final chapters.

Obtuse and confusing
I've been hearing about Popper and his epistemology of science for a long time, so I finally decided to read his masterwork. I am sorry to say but this has been a great disappointment. I am a practicing scientist who has a great appreciation for philosophy and epistemology, and consider myself generally favorably inclined to these kinds of books and topics. I was also hoping to gain a deeper understanding of my own discipline and in general how are the kinds of ideas that we come up in science structured and developed. I reflect a lot on those issues, especially when I feel like I am stuck with research and start to wonder about the deeper meaning of science as a human enterprise. Ideally, I would also like to read a book that can provide me with some sort of actionable insights into how to come up with new theories or new ways of looking at the world. Unfortunately, this book has not satisfied me on any of those levels. I found it to be obtuse without being profound. Popper tends to introduce a lot of technical superstructure that would supposedly shed some light on the way that scientific discoveries work. From the very beginning it was very hard for me to see the motivation for this technical superstructure (most of which was modeled on formal logic and early axiomatic probability theories). I was hoping, however, that as I read along the motivation for those technical tools would eventually become clear. In my opinion, that never happened. I feel that Popper has an uncanny ability to complicate and confuse even the simplest of scientific concepts. In the end I walked away from this book not knowing even what it main points were. I am afraid that other scientists would probably have even less of an appreciation for this work. It might have some value to pure philosophers, but on that account I am not competent to make judgment.

As recommended by F. A. Hayek
It was this work that the great economist F. A. Hayek had his students, one-by-one, promise to him they would read in order to acquire the requisite apprehension of the philosophy of science.It was only this way he felt they would have the ability to grasp the philosophy of social sciences.

Popper has loftier conceptions of the limitations of philosophy than most other modern philosophers.He believes philosophy should provide the rationale and touchstone for science.In this respect he is a throwback to the classical philosophers. He avoids the Cartesian statement with its implication of solipsism and thereby is able to ask the question of fundamental importance to modern science:what constitutes the proof of a theory?

The principle of causality is excluded from the sphere of science by Popper.He puts in its place an exhortation that we continue to search for a logical and casual scheme for the universe.He allows it to be said of a scientific theory only that it has not been proven false - yet. There is no ultimate truth that we can obtain, only theories that are less likely to be false.

Popper's style is quite smooth and readable. The book includes a letter to Popper from Albert Einstein which is reproduced in Einstein's own handwriting.

One should read this book if only to formulate clearly his objection to it.

Great Book
A scientist's must read.Very informative and thought provoking.It is a bit of a difficult read, but definitely helps in analyzing and creating scientific papers and studies.

Puts Kuhn's "Structure of Scientific Revolutions" to shame!
This is an amazing book which has taught me how to think better and more creatively as a scientist. There is a reason Popper has been remembered for his seemingly counterintuitive ideas, e.g., his ideas of falsification and rejection of induction. He is challenging but well worth the read. Popper's book is light-years better than Thomas Kuhn's The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, which, despite its hype, says nothing new. ... Read more

Product Description
An Introduction to Philosophical Logic has been a popular mainstay among students taking courses in philosophical logic and the philosophy of language since it was first published in 1982.Covering some of the most central topics in philosophy - the proposition, theories of truth, existence, meaning and reference, realism and anti-realism - it aims to be an accessible guide to the topic. This new edition keeps the same successful format, with each chapter as a self-contained introduction to the topic it discusses, but has been rewritten to include updated information.The author has also included a new chapter on identity, has revised his concluding comments and has completely updated the bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

5 Stars by All for a "Reason"
For this standard textbook about a complex and intricate subject the author bases his views on epistemic norms and solutions. Nothing unusual there, until it comes time to open up the book - and outflows philosophical precision made sublime.

This is one of those textbooks that you just have to keep, even if you are a student low on funds; this is an effort that you will grow to appreciate as you mature in life and thought. I can't imagine anyone giving this work less than a five star, and I have an antithetical epistemic pre-critical assumption.
I may disagree passionately with the offered epistemic flooring and propose an opposing pre-assumed fountainhead, but I am able to use large amounts of logical gems mined from this fine book.


Virtue Epistemology: Essays in Epistemic Virtue and Responsibility

Analytic philosophy
When taking university courses in philosophy, this was the first text I ever used.Several years later, I now own some 200+ philosophy texts, but I consider this to be one of the most valuable.When reading original sources, I find myself returning again and again to Grayling's An Introduction to Philosophical Logic for reminders and clarification.This is my most well-worn philosophy book.If use and usefulness are measures of value, this text is a diamond.

If you are a beginner in philosophy, particularly analytic philosophy, this text and William Lycan's Philosophy of Language: A Contemporary Introduction (Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy)should be your first two purchases.

A great introduction to philosophical logic
Over the years I return to Grayling's Introduction to Philosophical Logic to review and re-think some of the big issues of contemporary philosophy.Grayling clearly articulate the reasons for the debates and the sides that are battling it out.He covers propositions, necessity, existence, meaning, truth, reference, etc., and then finishes off by venturing into the fray between realism and antirealism.I just think this is one of the best philosophy books you'll ever buy, read, and use again.

Philosophy Majors: Read This Before Tackling Logic Exercises
Lucid book on the philosophical implications of modern logic.

I wish my philosophy professors had assigned this book BEFORE they plunged us straight into rote drills in propositional and predicate logic. Grayling shows you what exactly all these sterile-seeming symbolic manipulations have to do with epistemology and metaphysics.

Also check out books by Graham Priest.

Highly recommended.
Enough centuries have passed that everyone should know this: If you want a clear and readable exposition of a difficult and complex subject, you ask a British philosopher.

In that grand tradition of solidity and soundness, A.C. Grayling here provides, without fanfare but with a good deal ofclarity and wit, a thoroughly reliable and lucidly intelligibleintroduction to logic as this topic is understood within the broad spectrumof analytic philosophy.

A standard textbook that is now in its thirdedition (with extensive revisions and additions by the author), this volumealso makes for useful reading by interested laypersons (who may also knowGrayling as the author of two excellent volumes in the _Past Masters_series, on Russell and Wittgenstein). It is highly recommended to anyoneseeking an accessible introduction to the field.

Grayling is alsorecommended as a master of what Brand Blanshard memorably called"philosophical style." The oracular pronouncements of the world'sNietzsches, Kierkegaards, Wittgensteins, and Ayn Rands usually get all theattention, but what really keeps the enterprise of philosophy going is themuch-underappreciated art and skill of writing fine expository prose. Inthat respect, this volume is a gem. ... Read more

Product Description
This revised and considerably expanded 2nd edition brings together a wide range of topics, including modal, tense, conditional, intuitionist, many-valued, paraconsistent, relevant, and fuzzy logics.Part 1, on propositional logic, is the old Introduction, but contains much new material. Part 2 is entirely new, and covers quantification and identity for all the logics in Part 1. The material is unified by the underlying theme of world semantics. All of the topics are explained clearly using devices such as tableau proofs, and their relation to current philosophical issues and debates are discussed. Students with a basic understanding of classical logic will find this book an invaluable introduction to an area that has become of central importance in both logic and philosophy. It will also interest people working in mathematics and computer science who wish to know about the area. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Be careful to get the second edition
Unfortunately, the same produce description and reviews turn up for both editions.

The product description for the kindle edition describes it as "This revised and considerably expanded 2nd edition".However, the book I received was definitely not the second edition: the second edition has 24 chapters, and the kindle edition had only 12 chapters.

The book itself is a wonderful, unusually valuable discussion of non-classical logic, and it is a pity that the second edition is not available for kindle.
... Read more

Product Description
Two new philosophical problems surrounding the gradation of certainty began to emerge in the 17th century and are still very much alive today.One is concerned with the evaluation of inductive reasoning, whether in science, jurisprudence, or elsewhere;the other with the interpretation of the mathematical calculus of change.This book, aimed at non-specialists, investigates both problems and the extent to which they are connected.Cohen demonstrates the diversity of logical structures that are available for judgements of probability, and explores the rationale for their appropriateness in different contexts of application. Thus his study deals with the complexity of the underlying philosophical issues without simply cataloging alternative conceptions or espousing a particular "favorite" theory. ... Read more

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The first systematic exposition of all the central topics in the philosophy of logic, Susan Haack's book has established an international reputation (translated into five languages) for its accessibility, clarity, conciseness, orderliness, and range as well as for its thorough scholarship and careful analyses. Haack discusses the scope and purpose of logic, validity, truth-functions, quantification and ontology, names, descriptions, truth, truth-bearers, the set-theoretical and semantic paradoxes, and modality.She also explores the motivations for a whole range of nonclassical systems of logic, including many-valued logics, fuzzy logic, modal and tense logics, and relevance logics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good, not great
Haack does a decent job of introducing the important aspects of the philosophy of logic and introduces some intriguing theories of her own, but her style is dry and not easy to approach, even for a philosophical text.

Most lucid and accessible introduction to the field by far
Philosophy of logic . . . well, a discipline which really must be learned at the feet of a master.But for us ordinary folk who have to get through logic courses, Haack's book, despite the odd title, is a masterpiece of lucidity, simplicity, and comprehensiveness, in a field where virtually all other entrees read like "greek" for the greekless, or . . .well, logic for the ???

A bit difficult, but very rewarding
If you just heard something about logic and is looking for something interesting to read there may be easier and funnier books. But, if you have some knowledge of elementary formal logic and are motivated to take some time to learn about the philosophy of logic, this is a very rewarding book - it's real modern analytic philosophy at its best. ... Read more

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This is an extensively revised edition of Mr. Quine's introduction to abstract set theory and to various axiomatic systematizations of the subject. The treatment of ordinal numbers has been strengthened and much simplified, especially in the theory of transfinite recursions, by adding an axiom and reworking the proofs. Infinite cardinals are treated anew in clearer and fuller terms than before.

Improvements have been made all through the book; in various instances a proof has been shortened, a theorem strengthened, a space-saving lemma inserted, an obscurity clarified, an error corrected, a historical omission supplied, or a new event noted.

Customer Reviews (1)

Masterwork
"Set Theory and It's Logic" has cast a long shadow since it's first appearance. It is quite simply the crowning work of one of the 20th century's most distinguished philosophers. Sober, clear, and direct (and yet unpretentious and very friendly), it is illuminating to anyone who has the patience to slowly sip it and consider the the way the arguments build up from line to line and page to page a seemingly indestructible house of cards. If one is unprepared for the rigors of the book, that can be easily remedied--Quine also wrote the best introductory book on Logic, "Methods of Logic", which he took through several editions before his death. That book assumes no backround in logic, and a beginner who works her way through the exercises will find herself well-prepared for the magic tricks in "Set Theory and its Logic". I wished we taught this stuff in the public schools, along with mathematics, and (to keep the old dialectic rolling) Homer, Shakespeare, Dante, Tolstoy, Dickinson--the great poets. I might be dreaming, but we may have, at the very least, more ethical scientists, more humane poets, or just plain old more interesting people--who know what the foundations of their thoughts actually assume. A classic. ... Read more

Product Description
Mathematics and logic have been central topics of concern since the dawn of philosophy. Since logic is the study of correct reasoning, it is a fundamental branch of epistemology and a priority in any philosophical system. Philosophers have focused on mathematics as a case study for general philosophical issues and for its role in overall knowledge- gathering. Today, philosophy of mathematics and logic remain central disciplines in contemporary philosophy, as evidenced by the regular appearance of articles on these topics in the best mainstream philosophical journals; in fact, the last decade has seen an explosion of scholarly work in these areas.

This volume covers these disciplines in a comprehensive and accessible manner, giving the reader an overview of the major problems, positions, and battle lines. The 26 contributed chapters are by established experts in the field, and their articles contain both exposition and criticism as well as substantial development of their own positions. The essays, which are substantially self-contained, serve both to introduce the reader to the subject and to engage in it at its frontiers. Certain major positions are represented by two chapters--one supportive and one critical.

The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Math and Logic is a ground-breaking reference like no other in its field. It is a central resource to those wishing to learn about the philosophy of mathematics and the philosophy of logic, or some aspect thereof, and to those who actively engage in the discipline, from advanced undergraduates to professional philosophers, mathematicians, and historians. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good overview
The book is a very good and comprehensive overview of the current field. It contains a lot of separate essays that present a good picture of the area under investigation.

I recommend this book to everybody who is interested in this field.

The most concise work on the philosophy of mathematics
Anyone looking for a synopsis on collected essays on this subject need look no further. This is not only because of the relative scarcity of books on this subject. I would say this book will become (if it is not already) the bible of the philosophy of maths, like the book of Hardy is on number theory.
The chapters start in a readable manner also for laymen like me. For these introductions in prose (I mean without logic formulas and math language)alone the book is worth the buy.
I have to admit though that to fully comprehend the details, more advanced maths knowledge is necessary. But everything is there, all the key-figures that played and play a role in the discussion on this subject, and a discussion on what they have done and how their contribution adds to this relatively new field.
Highly recommended, among the works of Shapiro himself. ... Read more

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Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel gave many lectures in logic at Berlin University between 1818 and his untimely death in 1831. Edited posthumously by Hegel's son, Karl, these lectures were published in German in 2001 and now appear in English for the first time. Because they were delivered orally, Lectures on Logic is more approachable and colloquial than much of Hegel's formal philosophy. The lectures provide important insight into Hegel's science of logic, dialectical method, and symbolic logic. Clark Butler's smooth translation helps readers understand the rationality of Hegel's often dark and difficult thought. Readers at all levels will find a mature and particularly clear presentation of Hegel's systematic philosophical vision. ... Read more

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The Evolution of Logic examines the relations between logic and philosophy over the last 150 years. Logic underwent a major renaissance beginning in the nineteenth century. Cantor almost tamed the infinite, and Frege aimed to undercut Kant by reducing mathematics to logic. These achievements were threatened by the paradoxes, like Russell's. This ferment generated excellent philosophy (and mathematics) by excellent philosophers (and mathematicians) up to World War II. This book provides a selective, critical history of the collaboration between logic and philosophy during this period.After World War II, mathematical logic became a recognized subdiscipline in mathematics departments, and consequently but unfortunately philosophers have lost touch with its monuments. This book aims to make four of them (consistency and independence of the continuum hypothesis, Post's problem, and Morley's theorem) more accessible to philosophers, making available the tools necessary for modern scholars of philosophy to renew a productive dialogue between logic and philosophy. ... Read more