2nd Semester 2012/13: Vagueness and the Liar: Towards a New Uniform Solution

Instructors

Pablo Cobreros and Robert van Rooij
If you are interested in this project, please contact Robert by email.

ECTS

3

Description

A paradox is a (seemingly) valid argument with (seemingly) true premises and (seemingly) false conclusion. Since it is impossible to have all these together some of the "seems" must be deceiving... or are there true contradictions?

This course presents some of the most well-known paradoxes in the philosophical literature: the sorites paradox and the paradox of the Liar. These paradoxes seem to require the revision of principles of classical logic, like excluded middle and the explosion of contradictions. We review some solutions in this line and present a brand-new solution based on a strengthening of classical logic.

Organisation

Pablo Cobreros will visit the ILLC in June. He (assisted by Robert van Rooij) will give a series of five lectures between 10 and 14 June 2013.

Assessment

Assessment will consist of a small set of exercises and a (very) short essay.