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13Review: Hugues Leblanc, Theodore Hailperin, Nondesignating Singular Terms (review)Journal of Symbolic Logic 25 (1): 87-88. 1960.
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48Propensities and probabilitiesStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (3): 593-625. 2007.Popper’s introduction of ‘‘propensity’’ was intended to provide a solid conceptual foundation for objective single-case probabilities. By considering the partly opposed contributions of Humphreys and Miller and Salmon, it is argued that when properly understood, propensities can in fact be understood as objective single-case causal probabilities of transitions between concrete events. The chief claim is that propensities are well-explicated by describing how they fit into the existing formal the…Read more
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Proof tableau formulations of some first-order relevant ortho-logicsBulletin of the Section of Logic 13 (4): 233-239. 1984.In [6] proof tableau formulations were given of the implication/negation fragments of the important zero-order relevant logics E and R and the semirelevant logic RM . The main purpose of this paper then, is to extend results by giving proof tableau formulations of the distribution-free fragments of E, R and RM and of their first order extensions EQ, RQ and RMQ. Where X is one of these logics, we shall follow [13] in calling its distribution-free fragment OX – the ‘O’ standing for ‘ortho’ which is…Read more
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83Before refraining: Concepts for agency (review)Erkenntnis 34 (2). 1991.A structure is described that can serve as a foundation for a semantics for a modal agentive construction such as sees to it that Q ([ stit: Q]). The primitives are Tree,,Instant, Agent, choice. Eleven simple postulates governing this structure are set forth and motivated. Tree and encode a picture of branching time consisting of moments gathered into maximal chains called histories. Instant imposes a time-like ordering. Agent consists of agents, and choice assigns to each agent and each moment …Read more
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62“Flat pre-semantics” lets each parameter of truth be considered separately and equally, and without worrying about grammatical complications. This allows one to become a little clearer on a variety of philosophical-logical points, such as the usefulness of Carnapian tolerance and the deep relativity of truth. A more definite result of thinking in terms of flat pre-semantics lies in the articulation of some instructive ways of categorizing operations on meanings in purely logical terms in relation …Read more
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20A Decision Procedure For the System EĪ of Entailment with NegationMathematical Logic Quarterly 11 (4): 277-289. 1965.
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60“Branching space-times” is intended as a representation of objective, event-based indeterminism. As such, BST exhibits both a spatio-temporal aspect and an indeterministic “modal” aspect of alternative possible historical courses of events. An essential feature of BST is that it can also represent spatial or space-like relationships as part of its relativistic theory of spatio-temporal relations; this ability is essential for the representation of local indeterminism. This essay indicates how BS…Read more
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224Facing the future: agents and choices in our indeterminist worldOxford University Press. 2001.Here is an important new theory of human action, a theory that assumes actions are founded on choices made by agents who face an open future.
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7Review: R. B. Angell, A Propositional Logic with Subjunctive Conditionals (review)Journal of Symbolic Logic 35 (3): 464-465. 1970.
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100Backwards and forwards in the modal logic of agencyPhilosophy and Phenomenological Research 51 (4): 777-807. 1991.
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48Stit theory (a logic of seeing-to-it-that) is applied to cases involving many agents. First treated are complex nestings of stits involving distinct agents. The discussion is driven by the logical impossibility of "a sees to it that b sees to it that Q" in the technical sense, even though that seems to make sense in everyday language, Of special utility are the concepts of "forced choice", of the creation of deontic states, and of probabilities, Second, joint agency, both plain and strict (every…Read more
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86The way of the agentStudia Logica 51 (3-4). 1992.The conditional,if an agent did something, then the agent could have done otherwise, is analyzed usingstit theory, which is a logic of seeing to it that based on agents making choices in the context of branching time. The truth of the conditional is found to be a subtle matter that depends on how it is interpreted (e.g., on what otherwise refers to, and on the difference between could and might) and also on whether or not there are busy choosers that can make infinitely many choices in a finite …Read more
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341. Rescher 1964 — henceforth HR — proposes a way of reasoning from a set of hypotheses which may include both some of our beliefs and also hypotheses contradicting those beliefs. The aim of this paper is to point out what I take to be a fault in Rescher’s proposal, and to suggest a modification of it, using a nonclassical logic, which avoids that fault. The paper neither attacks nor defends the broader aspects of Rescher’s proposal, but merely assumes that it is at least prima facie worthwhile a…Read more
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33and I CaPI e D, then I Pl e D for all similar assignments. (2) For all values of P and q, I CPCNPql e D. (3) For all values of the variables in a, if la( e U then INal e D. (4) The F,P are constant functions such that, for all values of P, ~ FIP~ = 1, I F, Pl = 2,..., I Fât I = m.
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21EQ and the First Order Functional CalculusZeitschrift fur mathematische Logik und Grundlagen der Mathematik 6 (7-14): 217-218. 1960.
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13Review: Jaakko Hintikka, Existential Presuppositions and Existential Commitments (review)Journal of Symbolic Logic 25 (1): 88-88. 1960.
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225Future Contingents and the Battle TomorrowReview of Metaphysics 64 (3): 581-602. 2011.Using Aristotle's well-known sea battle as our example, we offer a precise, intelligible analysis of future contingent assertions in the presence of indeterminism. After explaining our view of the problem, we present a picture of indeterminism in the context of a tree ofbranching histories. There follows a brief description ofthe semantic bases for our double-time-reference theory of future contingents. We then set out our account. Before concluding, we discuss some ramifications of, and alterna…Read more
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Areas of Interest
Metaphysics |
Logic and Philosophy of Logic |