About
About ROLE
The goal of the Research on Logical Expressivism group is to develop a new philosophical account of the role and nature of logic, namely Logical Expressivism. We apply this account in the construction of new logical theories, especially nonmonotonic and nontransitive logics. We also use Logical Expressivism to address problems in logic such as paradoxes of self-reference.
About Logical Expressivism
The development of Logical Expressivism was spearheaded by Robert Brandom. Its three core tenets are:
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The characteristic job of logical vocabulary, i.e. the logical constants, is to allow us to make explicit relations of consequence and incompatibility. What is special about logical vocabulary is that its expressive function is of an extraordinary reflexive and general nature. It lets us express things of interest to all concept users qua concept users, namely what follows from what and what is incompatible with what.
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By performing this expressive function, logical vocabulary allows us to make explicit the features in virtue of which non-logical expressions mean what they mean.
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Relations of (primarily material, non-formal) consequence and incompatibility must ultimately be explained in terms of pragmatic-normative notions, i.e. the norms that govern our practice of giving and asking for reasons.