Logic : a very short introduction / Graham Priest.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Priest, Graham, author.

Series:

Very short introductions ; 29.

Very short introductions ; 29

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Logic.

Physical Description:

xxii, 156 pages : illustrations ; 18 cm.

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2017.

Summary:

"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." --Publisher description.

Contents:

1 Validity: what follows from what? 1

2 Truth functions-or not? 7

3 Names and quantifiers: is nothing something? 17

4 Descriptions and existence: did the Greeks worship Zeus? 24

5 Self-reference: what is this chapter about? 30

6 Necessity and possibility: what will be must be? 37

7 Conditionals: what's in an if? 45

8 The future and the past: is time real? 53

9 Identity and change: is anything ever the same? 61

10 Vagueness: how do you stop sliding down a slippery slope? 68

11 Probability: the strange case of the missing reference class 76

12 Inverse probability: you can't be indifferent about it! 84

13 Decision theory: great expectations 92

14 Halt! What goes there? 100

15 Maybe it is true-but you can't prove it! 110.

Notes:

First edition published in 2000.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780198811701

0198811705

OCLC:

987426872

Publisher Number:

99974782604