Pragmatics: Understanding Meaning in Context
Pragmatics explores how context shapes language interpretation beyond literal meanings. It examines the unspoken rules and assumptions that govern communication, revealing the true intent behind words.
Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc: Understanding a Common Logical Fallacy
This logical fallacy, 'post hoc, ergo propter hoc,' mistakenly concludes that because one event follows another, the first event must have caused the second. It's a flaw in reasoning.
Post Consistency in Formal Theories
A theory is Post consistent if it contains at least one unprovable statement. If all statements are provable, the theory is Post inconsistent. This concept is crucial for understanding the…
Possible Worlds
A hypothetical total way things might have been or could be. Used in modal logic to analyze concepts like possibility, necessity, contingency, and impossibility in a rigorous, formal way.
Possibility: Understanding Potential States of Affairs
Possibility refers to the capacity for something to be true or occur, even if it isn't currently the case. It signifies potential, opening doors to various outcomes and states of…
Polyadic First-Order Logic
An extension of first-order logic that incorporates predicates with multiple arguments. This allows for the representation of complex relationships between various objects in formal systems.
Polish Notation Explained
Polish notation, or prefix notation, is a way of writing mathematical and logical expressions. Operators come before their operands, removing the need for parentheses and simplifying parsing.
Pluralism
Pluralism, particularly logical pluralism, suggests that there can be multiple, distinct, and equally valid logical systems. This challenges the traditional view of a single, absolute logic.
Plural Quantification Explained
Plural quantification extends logic beyond single entities to statements about sets and groups. It addresses how we express concepts involving multiple objects considered collectively.
Plato’s Beard: Quine’s Metaphor for Non-Existent Entities
Plato's beard, a metaphor coined by W.V.O. Quine, explores the philosophical challenge of how we talk about and attribute properties to things that do not exist. It questions our ontology.