Logic and Reality

A N Prior has a special place in the history of postwar philosophy for his highly original work at the intersection of logic and metaphysics. His logical innovations have found many applications in the areas of philosophical logic, mathematics, linguistics, and, increasingly, computer science. In addition, he made seminal contributions to debates in metaphysics, particularly on modality and the nature of time. This volume presents a selection of current research in the areas that were of most interest to Prior: temporal and tense logic, modal logic, proof theory, quantification and individuation, and the logic of agency.

Both title and contents reflect Prior's view that logic is 'about the real world', and the orientation of the volume is towards the application of logic, in philosophy, computer science, and elsewhere. Following Prior, modal syntax is now widely applied to the formalization of a variety of subject matters, and tense logic has found numerous applications in computing, for example in natural language processing, logical deduction involving time-dependent data, program-verification, and VLSI.

A special feature of the volume is the inclusion of three hitherto unpublished pieces by Prior on modal logic and the philosophy of time, along with a complete bibliography of Prior's published philosophical writings.

Readership: Scholars and graduate students of philosophical logic, metaphysics, applied logic, mathematical logic, and computer science.

Edited by B. J. Copeland, Senior Lecturer, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

"The jaundiced reader who expects patchiness and substantial variation in quality across such a large number of essays will be pleasantly surprised by the consistently high quality of the contributions to Copeland's edition ... there is much to repay the philosopher's attention." - John Divers, Mind, Vol. 109, No.435, July 2000.

"The index is well-organized and reasonably comprehensive. Each chapter is self-contained, with its own list of references and notes gathered together at its end, which is convenient for the reader ... the whole volume is a very impressive production and a worthy memorial to one of the finest English-speaking philosophers of the twentieth century, a philosopher whose contribution to the history and philosophy of logic will surely continue to make a major impact well into the century to come." - E. J. Lowe, History and Philosophy of Logic

"The sheer breadth and depth of the volume is a fitting testament to the breadth and depth of Prior's own work up until his death in 1969 ... other papers in this volume ... deserve reading and reflection. None is a waste of space in the volume, and all go a long way to underline Prior's own approach to logic and philosophy. This volume is a fitting tribute to Prior, and a significant reminder of his enduring impact on the field." - Studia Logica