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Logic, Language, and Meaning, Volume 1: Introduction to Logic
Although the two volumes of Logic, Language, and Meaning can be used independently of one another, together they provide a comprehensive overview of modern logic as it is used as a tool in the analysis of natural language. Both volumes provide exercises and their solutions.
Volume 1, Introduction to Logic, begins with a historical overview and then offers a thorough introduction to standard propositional and first-order predicate logic. It provides both a syntactic and a semantic approach to inference and validity, and discusses their relationship. Although language and meaning receive special attention, this introduction is also accessible to those with a more general interest in logic.
In addition, the volume contains a survey of such topics as definite descriptions, restricted quantification, second-order logic, and many-valued logic. The pragmatic approach to non-truthconditional and conventional implicatures are also discussed. Finally, the relation between logic and formal syntax is treated, and the notions of rewrite rule, automation, grammatical complexity, and language hierarchy are explained.
L. T. F. Gamut is a collective pseudonym for J. F. A. K. van Benthem, professor of mathematical logic; J. A. G. Groenendijk, associate professor of philosophy and computational linguistics; D. H. J. de Jongh, associate professor of mathematics and philosophy; M. J. B. Stokhof, associate professor of philosophy and computational linguistics, all at the University of Amsterdam, and H. J. Verkuyl, professor of linguistics at the University of Utrecht.
Volume 1, Introduction to Logic, begins with a historical overview and then offers a thorough introduction to standard propositional and first-order predicate logic. It provides both a syntactic and a semantic approach to inference and validity, and discusses their relationship. Although language and meaning receive special attention, this introduction is also accessible to those with a more general interest in logic.
In addition, the volume contains a survey of such topics as definite descriptions, restricted quantification, second-order logic, and many-valued logic. The pragmatic approach to non-truthconditional and conventional implicatures are also discussed. Finally, the relation between logic and formal syntax is treated, and the notions of rewrite rule, automation, grammatical complexity, and language hierarchy are explained.
L. T. F. Gamut is a collective pseudonym for J. F. A. K. van Benthem, professor of mathematical logic; J. A. G. Groenendijk, associate professor of philosophy and computational linguistics; D. H. J. de Jongh, associate professor of mathematics and philosophy; M. J. B. Stokhof, associate professor of philosophy and computational linguistics, all at the University of Amsterdam, and H. J. Verkuyl, professor of linguistics at the University of Utrecht.
282 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
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About the author
L.T.F. Gamut
5 books3 followersL. T. F. Gamut was a collective pseudonym for the Dutch logicians Johan van Benthem, Jeroen Groenendijk, Dick de Jongh, Martin Stokhof and Henk Verkuyl. Logic, Language and Meaning is one of the most authoritative and widely used graduate textbooks in formal semantics courses. [Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L._T._F.... ]
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 17, 2012
An excellent book covering many different aspects of logic in an exhaustive manner. It is the first volume of two, with the somewhat misleading subtitle "Introduction to Logic". It should perhaps rather have been called "Introduction to a formal treatment of logic" or something along those lines. As a first book on logic, it is not a good choice. A word might be necessary on my use of the word "formal" here. Any treatment of logic is of course in a certain sense "formal". Arguments in natural language are often translated as examples to illustrate the meaning of the logical constants. But this does not amount to a formal treatment of logic itself. This book explains the use of mathematical induction to prove things about formulas, which relies on a formal definition on the syntax of the language of logic, gives extensive treatments on logical semantics and goes into some discussions about the correspondence between the model theoretic (semantic) approach (Tarski's beautiful truth definition is there) and proof theoretic (syntactic) approach to logical inference. In this connection some metalogical results are explained.
It is written with a strong linguistic focus. The ability of the formalisms to encode natural language is always a central issue, as opposed to the situation in more mathematically inclined books on logic where the translation of natural language sentences seems to often be more of a pedagogical thing. Towards the end, after the thorough treatment of classical logic, follows a few chapters on some other topics, with a more brief treatment. A chapter on various extensions and deviations on classical logic along with an explanation of the motivations of these (again, translations of natural language sentences are in focus) comes first. Then follows one on the pragmatics on logic and language, and finally, a chapter on the formal theory of grammar with a very brief explanation of the language hierarchy initially developed by Chomsky and its connection to types of automata.
This is an great text for the reader who already has a basic understanding of classical logic and wishes to delve a bit deeper, perhaps before getting into an even more formal treatment of logic in a course on metalogic (which is exactly what I'm about to do myself in about two weeks).
It is written with a strong linguistic focus. The ability of the formalisms to encode natural language is always a central issue, as opposed to the situation in more mathematically inclined books on logic where the translation of natural language sentences seems to often be more of a pedagogical thing. Towards the end, after the thorough treatment of classical logic, follows a few chapters on some other topics, with a more brief treatment. A chapter on various extensions and deviations on classical logic along with an explanation of the motivations of these (again, translations of natural language sentences are in focus) comes first. Then follows one on the pragmatics on logic and language, and finally, a chapter on the formal theory of grammar with a very brief explanation of the language hierarchy initially developed by Chomsky and its connection to types of automata.
This is an great text for the reader who already has a basic understanding of classical logic and wishes to delve a bit deeper, perhaps before getting into an even more formal treatment of logic in a course on metalogic (which is exactly what I'm about to do myself in about two weeks).
June 7, 2021
My curiosity of Logic is as old as my cognitive awakening. It is my Autistic obsession and my topic of one sided verbosity almost excusively. I am obsessed by it and it caused me great hardship as a child, and great opportunity as an adult.
Natural Language Processing is my greatest interest as an engineer in the Information Technology sector. It is why I chose a career in IT after leaving the Army and also the basis of my education.
That being said... This two volume set on Logic is my new bible.
Logic should be the very first topic all children are taught as soon as they are literate. No one would ever be able to successfully lie to them as a result, the become highly efficient and Autodidactic, and they will 'know' with confidence and zero compromise what it means to KNOW.
Truth is UNCOMPROMISING and Logic proves it.
What Computer Science has taught us about Logic is a complete game changer for all of humanity.
All human knowledge, spoken, written, or thought is 100% reliant/dependant upon Logic or it has zero value or use. Without Logic it is nonsense.
All "Language" operates upon Propositional/Predicate Logic. All spoken Natural Language, as well as all 'computer languages' or any "invented" language, such as Korean, or 'Klingon'.
Logic is the Inherent Axiomatic order of the universe and all human knowledge to be learned about the universe.
Having said this, 'most' are ignorant of Logic and Reason, or at best have ignorant Sciolism of Logic/Reason.
Because the world is predominantly made up of arrogantly-ignorant, Intellectually-lazy pseudo-intellectual human beings, and it is the puerile Logically Fallacious nature of common language that demonstrates this Axiomatic truth about people, It is nearly impossible to have a logically certain conversation with anyone.
It is the direct result of the Inherent IDIOCY of marketing bombarding all citizens of developed nations every minute of every day... buy this buy that, think this not that!
Marketing is an act of Propaganda that is only effective against the most ignorant and uninformed in any society... Especially when the target demographic are arrogant in their social position. I.e. academic professionals are a prime target as their cognitive biases are the most arrogantly stubborn and intellectually dishonest.
Politicians, and all manner of professions of False Authority, LEO, Civic Public Servants as well as impotent bureaucrats, etc. Any and all positions of faux authority... Teacher's/educators, Law Enforcement criminals are the worst group of psychotically pseudo-authoritarian, pseudo-intellectuals... Logic proves it. There are even eloquent and IRREFUTABLE equations that establish these Axioms of human behavior.
It is without question that the advances in Propositional/Predicate Logic will truly alter the future of humanity and the planet. Logic refutes the idiotic Fallacy of Representation and as humanity progresses towards decentralization and organized coopoeration we move farther away from the ridiculously idiotic and puerile foolishness of civic REPRESENTATION! One that is not capable of refuting anyone's Inalienable Birthright of Freedom, Liberty, and Independence!
A world where the only paternal relationships are with parents and not pseudo-intellectual civic psychopaths ignorant of Logic or Reason.
No human beings is obliged to acknowledge the vacant moronic idiocy of Logic and Reason from ANYONE let alone the vacant idiocy of a Public Servant.
Do not compromise your Intellectual integrity to anyone...
There is no law requiring any human being compromise their Intelligence to an idiot suggesting idiocy. But there is law preventing idiots of civic service from behaving like an idiot in the execution of their duties as a Public Servant - MALFEASANCE law.
Natural Language Processing is my greatest interest as an engineer in the Information Technology sector. It is why I chose a career in IT after leaving the Army and also the basis of my education.
That being said... This two volume set on Logic is my new bible.
Logic should be the very first topic all children are taught as soon as they are literate. No one would ever be able to successfully lie to them as a result, the become highly efficient and Autodidactic, and they will 'know' with confidence and zero compromise what it means to KNOW.
Truth is UNCOMPROMISING and Logic proves it.
What Computer Science has taught us about Logic is a complete game changer for all of humanity.
All human knowledge, spoken, written, or thought is 100% reliant/dependant upon Logic or it has zero value or use. Without Logic it is nonsense.
All "Language" operates upon Propositional/Predicate Logic. All spoken Natural Language, as well as all 'computer languages' or any "invented" language, such as Korean, or 'Klingon'.
Logic is the Inherent Axiomatic order of the universe and all human knowledge to be learned about the universe.
Having said this, 'most' are ignorant of Logic and Reason, or at best have ignorant Sciolism of Logic/Reason.
Because the world is predominantly made up of arrogantly-ignorant, Intellectually-lazy pseudo-intellectual human beings, and it is the puerile Logically Fallacious nature of common language that demonstrates this Axiomatic truth about people, It is nearly impossible to have a logically certain conversation with anyone.
It is the direct result of the Inherent IDIOCY of marketing bombarding all citizens of developed nations every minute of every day... buy this buy that, think this not that!
Marketing is an act of Propaganda that is only effective against the most ignorant and uninformed in any society... Especially when the target demographic are arrogant in their social position. I.e. academic professionals are a prime target as their cognitive biases are the most arrogantly stubborn and intellectually dishonest.
Politicians, and all manner of professions of False Authority, LEO, Civic Public Servants as well as impotent bureaucrats, etc. Any and all positions of faux authority... Teacher's/educators, Law Enforcement criminals are the worst group of psychotically pseudo-authoritarian, pseudo-intellectuals... Logic proves it. There are even eloquent and IRREFUTABLE equations that establish these Axioms of human behavior.
It is without question that the advances in Propositional/Predicate Logic will truly alter the future of humanity and the planet. Logic refutes the idiotic Fallacy of Representation and as humanity progresses towards decentralization and organized coopoeration we move farther away from the ridiculously idiotic and puerile foolishness of civic REPRESENTATION! One that is not capable of refuting anyone's Inalienable Birthright of Freedom, Liberty, and Independence!
A world where the only paternal relationships are with parents and not pseudo-intellectual civic psychopaths ignorant of Logic or Reason.
No human beings is obliged to acknowledge the vacant moronic idiocy of Logic and Reason from ANYONE let alone the vacant idiocy of a Public Servant.
Do not compromise your Intellectual integrity to anyone...
There is no law requiring any human being compromise their Intelligence to an idiot suggesting idiocy. But there is law preventing idiots of civic service from behaving like an idiot in the execution of their duties as a Public Servant - MALFEASANCE law.
to-read-in-part
December 18, 2018Teoría de la Argumentación.
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...a wide-ranging, two-volume textbook on logic that also presents contemporary material on the formal semantics of natural language, including Montague Grammar and intensional logic...
Natural Language Processing with Python Pág.
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...a wide-ranging, two-volume textbook on logic that also presents contemporary material on the formal semantics of natural language, including Montague Grammar and intensional logic...
Natural Language Processing with Python Pág.
March 9, 2017
A nice introduction to first-order logic; more intuitive than most logic books. Walks the reader through first-order predicate logic (explaining both substitutional and Tarski-style semantics), along with presuppositions and many-valued sentence logic.
January 29, 2011
Dry, dense, intense. A really good text for tightening up one's grasp and execution of symbolic logic and formal semantics.
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February 10, 2020Logic
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews