5th Workshop

5th Nagoya Meta-Philosophy Workshop

Date: 17:00 to 18:30pm, Jun 26, 2019

Venue: Liberal Arts and Sciences Main Building C41, 4th Floor

"Logics Probe: A Methodological Bridge between Logics and Metaphysics"

Shimpei Endo (University of Amsterdam)

Abstract: Many incredulous stares at metaphysics have attacked its methodology. They ask how we do know what is going on in the metaphysical reality, which is independent of our mental activities. Several philosophers have shifted the main battlefield of metaphysics into more accessible realm: semantics and its corresponding logic. Dummett, for instance, claims that to adopt a metaphysical theory is to adopt a semantics and its corresponding logical principles. Theodore Sider argues that reality has its logical structure; so logic is a strong candidate for the language which "carves at joint". However, their approaches presuppose logical monism, according to which there is one correct logic. This attitude first requires to settle down (seemingly) endless disputes on what is the right logic before approaching to metaphysical discussions.

This paper/talk suggests an alternative method to overcome this difficulty in our era of logical pluralism (cf. Beall and Restall). I suggest the following methodology, which employs logics for the sake of metaphysics. Logics, instead of the single logic, probe (not prove) the metaphysical reality. Each logic itself does not say so much about the reality hidden behind our epistemic and semantic veil. Rather, the collection of working logics tell more about the reality by examining what they agree and disagree with each other and by stipulating what semantic ground makes possible i.e. embraces these (dis)agreements. As much as time permits, I will demonstrate how this method works in a particular topic of metaphysics and logic: modality. In particular, I will overview the well-developed system of different modal propositional logics and several semantics suggested so far. Then I will argue requirements for better semantics and the metaphysical consequences of selecting semantics.