3 research outputs found
Computer Science and Metaphysics: A Cross-Fertilization
Computational philosophy is the use of mechanized computational techniques to
unearth philosophical insights that are either difficult or impossible to find
using traditional philosophical methods. Computational metaphysics is
computational philosophy with a focus on metaphysics. In this paper, we (a)
develop results in modal metaphysics whose discovery was computer assisted, and
(b) conclude that these results work not only to the obvious benefit of
philosophy but also, less obviously, to the benefit of computer science, since
the new computational techniques that led to these results may be more broadly
applicable within computer science. The paper includes a description of our
background methodology and how it evolved, and a discussion of our new results.Comment: 39 pages, 3 figure
Universal (Meta-)Logical Reasoning: Recent Successes
Classical higher-order logic, when utilized as a meta-logic in which various other (classical and non-classical) logics can be shallowly embedded, is suitable as a foundation for the development of a universal logical reasoning engine. Such an engine may be employed, as already envisioned by Leibniz, to support the rigorous formalisation and deep logical analysis of rational arguments on the computer. A respective universal logical reasoning framework is described in this article and a range of successful first applications in philosophy, artificial intelligence and mathematics are surveyed