Formalizing common sense: an operator-based approach to the Tibbles-Tib problem

The paper argues, that a direct formalization of the way common sense thinks about the numerical identity of enduring entities, requires that traditional predicate logic is developed. If everyday language mirrors the world, then persons, organisms, organs, cells, and ordinary material things can lose some parts but nonetheless remain numerically exactly the same entity. In order to formalize this view, two new logical operators are introduced; and they bring with them some nonstandard syntax. One of the operators is called `the instantiation operator'; it is needed because the existential quantifier and its traditional relatives cannot do the job required. The other operator is called `the form-on-matter operator', and it allows an individual (an instance of a form) to stay the same even though some of its parts (its constituting matter) is taken away from it. Also, a certain kind of predicates, called `nature terms', is needed in order to represent what gives a particu...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: SYNTHESE
• Authors: Ingvar Johansson
• Keywords: Operators, SYNTHESE 2008, Traditional Predicate Logic, Way Common Sense