Logic: A Very Short Introduction

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OUP Oxford, Oct 12, 2000 - Mathematics - 128 pages
Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
 

Contents

Validity What Follows from What?
1
Truth Functions Or Not?
7
Names and Quantifiers Is Nothing Something?
17
Descriptions and Existence Did the Greeks Worship Zeus?
24
SelfReference What is this Chapter About?
31
Necessity and Possibility What Will be Must be?
38
Conditionals Whats in an If?
47
The Future and the Past Is Time Real?
55
Probability The Strange Case of the Missing Reference Class
78
Inverse Probability You cant be Indifferent About it
86
Great Expectations
94
A Little History and Some Further Reading
102
Glossary
111
Problems
117
Bibliography
121
General Index
123

Identity and Change Is Anything Ever the Same?
63
Vagueness How do you Stop Sliding down a Slippery Slope?
70

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About the author (2000)

Graham Priest is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Queensland. He has also held positions at the University of St Andrews and the University of Western Australia. He is the author of In Contradiction, Beyond the Limits of Thought, and over 100 articles in philosophy books and journals. He has held visiting positions in universities in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Russia, and Brazil, and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Humanities.

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