Lecture 1
From Data to Paradox
The Sorites paradox, natural language data, and the motivations for moving beyond classical logic.
Course Description
This course introduces the main logical and philosophical responses to vagueness. We begin with the Sorites paradox and related linguistic data, and then survey many-valued logics, supervaluationism, epistemicism, contextualism, and strict/tolerant approaches.
The course is designed both as an introduction to the philosophical study of vagueness and as a broader entry point into non-classical logic. Along the way, we will ask how different formal systems handle undeterminate cases, tolerance, higher-order vagueness, and the tension between preserving classical reasoning, respecting philosophical needs, and modeling actual linguistic practice.
The course should be of interest to students in logic, philosophy, linguistics, and related fields. Some prior exposure to introductory logic is useful.
Contact
Marco Degano m.degano@uva.nl
Robert van Rooij r.a.m.vanrooij@uva.nl
Lecture 2
Degrees and Gaps via Many-Valued Logics
Many-valued approaches, paracomplete and paraconsistent logics, and the contrast between gaps and gluts.
Lecture 3
Supervaluationism
Precisifications, supertruth, validity, subvaluationism, and higher-order vagueness.
Lecture 4
Epistemicism and Contextualism
Margin-for-error knowledge, context sensitivity, pragmatic approaches, and comparison with gradability.
Lecture 5
Strict/Tolerant Logics and Current Avenues
Strict and tolerant truth, non-transitivity, ST logic, and current experimental directions.