Philosophical logic is the application of formal logical techniques to problems that concern philosophers. It should be contrasted with mathematical logic, which might be characterized as the application of formal logical techniques to problems that concern mathematicians. However, since the problems that concern philosophers and the problems that concern mathematicians sometimes overlap, philosophical and mathematical logic sometimes overlap as well.

Philosophical logic is often confused with philosophy of logic, the field of philosophy that is concerned with the nature and justification of formal logical systems.

Not all philosophical logic, however, applies formal logical techniques. A good amount of it (including Grayling's and McGinn's books cited below) is written in natural language. One definition, popular in Britain, is that philosophical logic is the attempt to solve general philosophical problems that arise when we use or think about formal logic: problems about existence, necessity, analyticity, a prioricity, propositions, identity, predication, truth. Philosophy of logic, on the other hand, would tackle metaphysical and epistemological problems about entailment, validity, and proof.

Literature

• Goble, Lou, ed. 2001. (The Blackwell Guide to) Philosophical Logic. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0631206930
• Grayling, A. C. 1997. An Introduction to Philosophical Logic. 3rd ed. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0631199829
• Jacquette, Dale, ed. 2002. A Companion to Philosophical Logic. Oxford Blackwell. ISBN 1405145757
• Sainsbury, Mark. 2001. Logical Forms: An Introduction to Philosophical Logic. 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 0631216790
• McGinn, Colin. 2000. Logical Properties: Identity, Existence, Predication, Necessity, Truth. Oxford: Oxford. ISBN 0199262632.
• Wolfram, Sybil. 1989 Philosophical Logic: An Introduction. London Routledge.

Philosophical logic | 哲学逻辑 | לוגיקה (פילוסופיה) | Filozófiai logika