CFP: Medieval Logic and its Contemporary Relevance

George Santayana once observed that those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it. Of course, history can be studied for many reasons, even for its own sake. But studying medieval logic, in particular, can make us aware of the consequences of certain ideas in at least two ways. First, the problems that medieval logicians were tackling are in many cases still with us today and still unresolved, more so than in some more recent periods. Secondly, though medieval academia was small in comparison to its modern counterpart, logic played a key role in the medieval curriculum and was the object of close attention by some remarkably perceptive thinkers. So the study of medieval logic has particular contemporary relevance and can yield many insights into contemporary puzzles in philosophy of logic. The object of the workshop is to encourage investigation into these connections and to showcase notable examples.

We hope to include at least half a dozen Contributed Talks, each allotted one hour (including discussion). Contributed Talks should preferably both contain historical material from the middle ages and relate it to contemporary concerns in philosophical logic. To submit a talk for the workshop, please send an abstract of around 500 words to [email protected] by 1 February 2018. We intend to let successful contributors know the result by 15 February. Enquiries about the workshop and registration should be addressed to [email protected]. 

We are grateful to the British Society for the History of Philosophy, to the Leverhulme Trust, to the Scots Philosophical Association and to the University of St Andrews for financial support.