Themes in Logic
Code
711031081
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas
Department
Filosofia
Credits
6
Weekly hours
4
Teaching language
Portuguese
Objectives
Development of capacities of critical and conceptual analysis, by focusing on fundamental notions by means of case studies within the framework of philosophical logic.
Prerequisites
Not applicable
Subject matter
Wittgenstein’s Philosophy of Logic
Wittgenstein’s Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus is usually seen as a work still associated with Frege’s and Russell’s logicist programs. In the Tractatus itself, however, there are many points where Wittgenstein questions these programs and develops a new philosophical conception of logic. We chiefly explore the way the Tractatus deals with truth-functionality, quantification and identity. Then in the second half of the course we try to understand to what extent the “later” Wittgenstein radicalizes the Tractarian philosophy of logic. A discussion of psychologism, an issue that underlies much of his thinking in the Philosophical Investigations, and an analysis of the notion of grammar, which assumes a central role in the book, help us to understand Wittgenstein’s real contribution to logic.
Bibliography
Venturinha, N. (2010). Lógica, Ética, Gramática. Wittgenstein e o Método da Filosofia. Lisboa: IN-CM.
Wittgenstein, L. (1933). Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. London: Routledge; (1987). Tratado Lógico-Filosófico. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Wittgenstein, L. (1974). Bemerkungen über die Grundlagen der Mathematik. Frankfurt: Suhrkamp; (1978). Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics (3rd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell.
Wittgenstein, L. (1979). Tagebücher 1914-1916 / Notebooks 1914-1916 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Blackwell; (2004). Cadernos 1914-1916. Lisboa: Edições 70.
Wittgenstein, L. (2009). Philosophische Untersuchungen / Philosophical Investigations (4th ed.). Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell; (1987). Investigações Filosóficas. Lisboa: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Teaching method
The method adopted for the class combines exposition of the readings and commentaries on them along with discussion of student papers.
Evaluation method
Besides a final exam (60%), each student is required to write a paper to be presented and discussed in class (40%).