The evolution of reason : logic as a branch of biology / William S. Cooper.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cooper, William S., author.

Series:

Cambridge studies in philosophy and biology.

Cambridge studies in philosophy and biology

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Biology--Philosophy.

Biology.

Logic.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (x, 226 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2001.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The formal systems of logic have ordinarily been regarded as independent of biology, but recent developments in evolutionary theory suggest that biology and logic may be intimately interrelated. In this book, William Cooper outlines a theory of rationality in which logical law emerges as an intrinsic aspect of evolutionary biology. This biological perspective on logic, though at present unorthodox, could change traditional ideas about the reasoning process. Cooper examines the connections between logic and evolutionary biology and illustrates how logical rules are derived directly from evolutionary principles, and therefore have no independent status of their own. Laws of decision theory, utility theory, induction, and deduction are reinterpreted as natural consequences of evolutionary processes. Cooper's connection of logical law to evolutionary theory ultimately results in a unified foundation for an evolutionary science of reason. It will be of interest to professionals and students of philosophy of science, logic, evolutionary theory, and cognitive science.

Contents:

Cover; Half-title; Series-title; Title; Copyright; Contents; Foreword; 1 The Biology of Logic; 2 The Evolutionary Derivation of Life-History Strategy Theory; 3 The Evolutionary Derivation of Decision Logic; 4 The Evolutionary Derivation of Inductive Logic Part I; 5 The Evolutionary Derivation of Deductive Logic; 6 The Evolutionary Derivation of Inductive Logic Part II; 7 The Evolutionary Derivation of Mathematics; 8 Broadening the Evolutionary Foundation of Classical Logic; 9 The Evolutionary Derivation of Nonclassical Logics; 10 Radical Reductionism in Logic

11 Toward a Unified Science of ReasonAppendix Formal Theory; References; Index

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Includes bibliographical references (p. 217-222) and index.

ISBN:

1-107-12172-8

0-511-17447-0

0-511-15441-0

0-511-30233-9

0-521-54025-9

0-511-61284-2

9786610430109

0-511-04692-8

1-280-43010-9

OCLC:

171122823