European Science Foundation Exploratory Workshop

 

 

ESF Exploratory Workshop

Applied Logic in the Methodology of Science

Logic in Methodology of Science - Past, Present, Future

Scientific Methodology and its Impact on Logic

The Logic of Theory Revision and Probability

Logic and Scientific Language

Bristol, 8-10 September 2006

Aims

Programme

Workshop Venue, Hotels, and Travel Directions

People

Sponsors

Main Objectives of the Workshop

When logical empiricism declined, logic seemed to lose its role as being the primary tool of investigating the methodology of science. Recent developments of logical methods in areas outside of traditional mathematical logic have excited new interest in the application of logic to methodological questions. This multidisciplinary workshop will explore the interdependence of logic and methodology and the role that the former ought to play for the latter in near future.

Topics

I. Logic in Methodology of Science - Past, Present, Future:

What role will logic play in the further development of the methodology of science? What role should it have? Did the logical reconstruction of empirical theories have a positive effect on science? What became of the logical empiricists' view of philosophy of science as 'applied logic'?

II. Scientific Methodology and its Impact on Logic:

Do scientific achievements change the logical systems that we use or do they at least change our view of logic?  What is the philosophical status of quantum logic in quantum theory?  Is it science or philosophy that is responsible for choosing our logical axioms and rules?

III. The Logic of Theory Revision and Probability:

Does the change of scientific theories conform to some sort of rationality that can be reconstructed logically?  If so: what can recent developments in belief revision, non-monotonic logic, dynamic logic, and probabilistic logic tell us about the rationality of theory change?

IV. Logic and Scientific Language:

What can logic contribute to the investigation of the syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of scientific languages? Is science or the philosophy of science in need of intensional idioms that are governed by modal logic?  Do we need higher-order quantification in order to express scientific claims?

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Sponsors

this workshop is sponsored by

 

 

 

European Science Foundation	(www.esf.org)
The British Academy	(http://www.britac.ac.uk/)
Bristol Arts Faculty Research Fund	(www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/)
University of Bristol Institute for Advanced Studies	(http://www.bristol.ac.uk/ias/)
Bristol Institute for Research in the Humanities and Arts	(www.bristol.ac.uk/arts/birtha/)