Philosophers at Work
Professor John Mackay
The Pyle Center, Gale Vandeberg Auditorium, 702 Langdon St
Abstract:
To what extent does the language we use in ordinary reasoning resemble a system of formal logic? Are the differences between logic and language deep or superficial? I shall explore these questions by focusing on examples involving conditionals, which are sentences of the form “if A then B”. Conditionals are central to logical reasoning but they are often used in everyday discourse in ways that look different from how they are used in logic. They therefore provide a rich source of material for thinking about these broader themes. I will explore how conditionals illustrate the way that logically precise meanings interact with the more social and pragmatic elements of human communication.