This talk will delve into the fascinating intersection between the way we naturally think and the formal world of logic. It will first address the mismatches that often arise between everyday human reasoning and the principles of classical logic, which, despite its broad applications, doesn't always align with our intuitive thought processes. We'll explore why some aspects of classical logic seem natural to us, like negation (saying something is not the case), conjunction (combining two things with 'and'), and disjunction (using 'or'), while others, such as implication (if-then statements) and equivalence (statements of equality), feel more forced or artificial.

Building on this, the presentation will introduce the concept of non-classical logics, with a special focus on non-Fregean logics. These are forms of logic that could potentially be closer to how we naturally think, moving beyond the limitations of classical logic by introducing different types of connections between ideas that reflect our everyday reasoning more accurately. For instance, we'll discuss how the proposed logic includes two types of implications and equivalences that are not found in traditional logic, aiming to mirror the nuanced ways in which we understand the relationship between different statements (like recognizing that saying "Tweety is an ostrich" naturally implies "Tweety is a bird").

Lastly, the talk will highlight the potential for fruitful collaboration between logicians, who specialize in the study of logic, and cognitive scientists, who study how we think and reason. This partnership can lead to deeper insights into how logic can be refined to more closely match human reasoning, which could transform how we understand and apply logic in various fields.

Professor Piotr Łukowski is the head of the Department of Logic in the Institute of Philosophy of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland. He was a long-time employee of the Department of Logic and Methodology of Science at the University of Łódź. Later, from 2010 to 2019, he was head of the Department of Cognitive Science at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Łódź. Since 2019, he has been working at the Jagiellonian University. His research interests are in both formal and philosophical logic. Formal issues mainly include non-Fregean logic; the logic of content; connexive logic; hyperintensionality and intensionality; apparently non-monotonic reasoning; dualization of logics; reconstruction of the reductive counterpart for deductive logic. Less formal issues include: natural language thinking; logical aspects of natural language, especially vagueness; communication theory, especially lying, persuasion and psycho-manipulation.

Date: 20/03/2024, 11 AM - 1 PM

Location: Stadscampus, Building M, Aula S.M.001 (St-Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp)

Participation is free, but online registration is mandatory.