#ShutDownLogic
On June 10th, 2020, following the lead of #ShutDownSTEM and #ShutDownAcademia, the Logic Supergroup, which comprises logic groups across the world and hosts virtual talks by speakers that these groups would have had in their physical seminars/colloquia, engaged in a Day of Inclusive Logic in support of Black Lives Matter and the protests currently underway. To that end, logicians met online for the 24 consecutive hours between 0:00 and 24:00 GMT to discuss ways we might make logic more inclusive and thereby take a small step in efforts to mitigate racism.
Over 40 logicians from at least 8 different countries participated in the discussions. Folks discussed several things, generally falling into three categories. People were interested in talking about inclusive teaching practices, resources for diversifying the field of logic, and activism we as logicians could be a part of.
Teaching suggestions for diversifying logic courses and suggestions for how to make logic more accessible for students from a wide variety of backgrounds included getting rid of genius culture and stereotypes in logic, focusing on logic as a practical tool which requires practice to get good at, using low-cost materials, implementing mastery grading and providing mentorship opportunities.
Several resources were identified as good candidates for increasing diversity in logic (both in teaching and research). People also had several suggestions for improving current resources and developing new ones. Some suggestions were to add more diversity to, e.g., the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, by including more entries on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) folks, and also by acknowledging the work of BIPOC folks in entries which are already present, to compile a list of resources about less studied logics, and to track the number of female and BIPOC participants in logic events. One notable resource that started to develop over the course of the day was a collection of some lived experiences of BIPOC logicians.
Participants were also very keen to talk about concrete actions we could take immediately. Some proposed actions included diversifying the Logic Supergroup speaker list and drafting a Supergroup statement about our commitment to diversity and inclusivity, including concrete steps we will take to achieve more diversity. Additionally, participants drafted a letter template that individuals could use to send their own letters to their professional societies in order to encourage them to take steps to address issues of racism and exclusion within their fields. Finally, a change in thinking was suggested. We should all transition from thinking about logic as a field of great dead white men and as a field of “geniuses”, to recognizing those men for the flawed creatures they were, whose “genius” relied on the subjugation of many women and BIPOC around them, and ensuring that the Wikipedia, SEP, etc., pages for these logicians acknowledge that.
Of course, the discussion was wide-ranging, and this short summary cannot account for everything. For more information about the specifics of the discussion, please contact Shay Logan at shay.a.logan at gmail.com. The event was very helpful in finding ways that we might take an active stand in fighting racism and increasing diversity in logic. The next steps are to do some things suggested: send the letters to your professional organizations (including the ASL!), take steps to make your classrooms more inclusive, make changes to Wikipedia or email an SEP editor when you notice something is missing or incorrect about BIPOC folks, etc.