1) Lecture notes and hand-outs made available by the instructor
(online);
2) corresponding entries of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(SEP), online;
3) R.M. Sainsbury, Paradoxes, Cambridge 1988;
4) A.Cantini, Paradoxes, self-reference and truth in the 20th century. Handbook of the history of logic. Vol. 5. Logic from Russell to Church, 875–1013, Handb. Hist. Log., 5, Elsevier/North-Holland, Amsterdam, 2009.
Learning Objectives
The aim of the lectures is the analysis of paradoxes, mainly coming from
semantics and set theory.
Prerequisites
Introduction to Logic (12 CFU), BA degree in Philosophy)
Teaching Methods
Lectures supplied by tutorials and exercise sessions.
Further information
Normal students are supposed to attend at least 2/3 of the class lectures. Part-time students (or those having special problems) are required to directly get in touch with the instructor. For further news and last minute infos, see the lecturer's UNIFI-web page
the web page of DILEF.
e-mail: andrea.cantini@unifi.it.
Type of Assessment
Oral examination witnessing an adequate mastering of (i) the basic theoretical notions and disciplinary lexicon, (ii) the logical techniques needed to solve exercises.
The proficiency of the candidate is verified by means of an oral examination (about 45 minutes long), with the aim of verifying that the main notions and techniques are adequately mastered. Three topics are handled during the examination, the first one chosen by the student; the final mark is the average of the marks assigned to the treatment of each single topic. A crucial role has the solution of an exercise, in order to check 1) a satisfactory level of knowledge and understanding about the main topics of the course; 2) the ability of making judgements and the achievement of suitable communication skills.
Course program
Lectures will be devoted (i) to Zeno's paradoxes, also in connection with
problems pertaining to the philosophy of mathematics; (ii) to the analysis
of paradoxes coming from semantics, set theory, theory of action and the
theory of knowledge.
1. Introduction: analysis of the term 'paradox'.
2. Zeno's paradoxes and the continuum. The Pythagorical conception and
the discovery of incommensurables. Dedekind's model of the continuum.
The notion of 'limit'. Application to the solution of Dichotomy, Arrow and
Achilles.
4. The Tarskian and Kripkean solutions to semantical paradoxes.