This book, written by one of philosophy's pre-eminent logicians, argues that many of the basic assumptions common to logic, philosophy of mathematics and metaphysics are in need of change. It is therefore a book of critical importance to logical theory. Jaakko Hintikka proposes a new basic first-order logic and uses it to explore the foundations of mathematics. This new logic enables logicians to express on the first-order level such concepts as equicardinality, infinity, and truth in the same language. The famous impossibility results by Goedel and Tarski that have dominated the field for the last sixty years turn out to be much less significant than has been thought. All of ordinary mathematics can in principle be done on this first-order level, thus dispensing with the existence of sets and other higher-order entities.

Hintikka proposes a new logic and uses it to explore the foundations of mathematics.
Reviews
'Hintikka's new logic is highly original and will prove appealing to logicians, philosophers of mathematics, and mathematicians concerned with the foundations of the discipline.' Studia Logica



Book Information
ISBN 9780521624985
Author Jaakko Hintikka
Format Paperback
Page Count 304
Imprint Cambridge University Press
Publisher Cambridge University Press
Weight(grams) 390g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 22mm