The Logic in Philosophy of Science

by Hans Halvorson

Major figures of twentieth-century philosophy were enthralled by the revolution in formal logic, and many of their arguments are based on novel mathematical discoveries. Hilary Putnam claimed that the Löwenheim-Skølem theorem refutes the existence of an objective, observer-independent world; Bas van Fraassen claimed that arguments against empiricism in philosophy of science are ineffective against a semantic approach to scientific theories; W. v. O. Quine claimed that the distinction between analytic and synthetic truths is trivialized by the fact that any theory can be reduced to one in which all truths are analytic. This book dissects these and other arguments through in-depth investigation of the mathematical facts undergirding them. It presents a systematic, mathematically rigorous account of the key notions arising from such debates, including theory, equivalence, translation, reduction, and model. The result is a far-reaching reconceptualization of the role of formal methods in answering philosophical questions.

Genres: Philosophy, Science, Nonfiction

304 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

The Stuart Professor of Philosophy at Princeton University, Dr. Halvorson's research interests include category theory, logic, philosophy of science, philosophy of physics, and the interplay of science and religion.

In 2001, he received a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also earned an MA in Mathematics (1998) and an MA in Philosophy (1997). He graduated from Calvin College in 1995 with a BA in Philosophy.

Academic appointments:
2016- Stuart Professor of Philosophy, Princeton
2010-16 full professor: Princeton philosophy
2012 associated faculty: Princeton mathematics
2005-10 associate professor: Princeton philosophy
2001-05 assistant professor: Princeton philosophy