Formal Logic: A Philosophical Approach - Softcover

"A jewel of a philosophical introduction to formal logic. It is logically sound, philosophically sophisticated, and pedagogically thoughtful." - Wilfried Sieg, Camegle Mellon University; "In this book, one gets two things: an informal approach to logic for those who have been terrified by any formula they encountered, and a mathematical presentation that gives an idea of the rigor and beauty of logic as a structural science." - Neue Zurcher Zeitung; "The purchase of this book is strongly suggested to every reader in search of an introduction, not only for substantive... but also for stylistic reasons. [Hoyningen-Huene] writes extremely well and at times even quite wittily, which is all too rare in (German) introductory textbooks." - Information Philosophie; "Deserves to become a standard work." - Freiburger Zeitschrift fur Philosophie und Theologie"

Many texts on logic are written with a mathematical emphasis, and focus primarily on the development of a formal apparatus and associated techniques. In other, more philosophical texts, the topic is often presented as an indulgent collection of musings on issues for which technical solutions have long since been devised. What has been missing until now is an attempt to unite the motives underlying both approaches. Paul Hoyningen-Huene's Formal Logic seeks to find a balance between the necessity of formal considerations and the importance of full reflection and explanation about the seemingly arbitrary steps that occasionally confound even the most serious student of logic. Alex Levine's artful translation conveys both the content and style of the German edition. Filled with examples, exercises, and a straightforward look at some of the most common problems in teaching the subject, this work is eminently suitable for the classroom.