Logic and Philosophy: A Modern Introduction by Howard Kahane (Author) offers a comprehensive and rigorous introduction to formal logic, suitable for beginners. The text is enriched with abundant exercise sets that are carefully crafted to enhance understanding and engagement. Divided into multiple chapters, the book explores key topics such as sentential logic, first-order predicate logic, theories of descriptions, identity, relations, set theory, modal logic, and Aristotelian logic. Beyond just logical concepts, the book delves into philosophical debates that have shaped the development of these fields, making it a valuable resource for students interested in both logic and philosophy.
The thirteenth edition includes several new additions: an introduction to set theory, its relationship with logic and mathematics, and the associated philosophical issues are now part of Chapter 13. Chapter 15 introduces modal logic and Kripke semantics, concluding with a discussion on philosophical problems concerning logical accommodations of modalities. Additionally, instructors who prefer not to cover proof methods can utilize chapters dedicated to truth trees for sentential and first-order logic, as well as presentations of trees for modal logic.
The book is sensitive to the interplay between ordinary language, symbolic logic, and justifications for the syntax and semantics of various languages. It includes discussions on semantic problems related to universal and existential instantiations, among other topics. Ideal for students new to the subject, this edition has been enhanced with numerous updates and new material, making it a robust tool for learning and teaching formal logic and its philosophical implications.
