The Paris-Nancy Colloquium in Logic and the Philosophy of Mathematics or PANALM is a forum for general expository talks accessible and relevant for all researchers in logic and the philosophy of mathematics. Speakers are invited to describe a whole research line or program that they have been pursuing and present the main results they have obtained in a synoptic and didactic way. PANALM is run jointly by the Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques (IHPST) and the Institut Jean Nicod (IJN) in Paris and the Archives Henri Poincaré (AHP) in Nancy. Each of these institutions will welcome one session of PANALM per semester. PANALM is open to anyone interested, from students to researchers in neighboring disciplines.
Title: Felicitous underspecification
Abstract: In recent work, Jeffrey King has called our attention to the problem of “felicitous underspecification”: felicitous uses of context-sensitive language in the absence of determinate intentions about the needed contextual supplementation. An example would be talk of a “local shop” in the absence of a determinate intention about whether we mean local-to-the-city or local-to-the-county. After discussing the problems raised by this phenomenon, I consider King’s own solution and argue that it is inadequate. I then describe the solution I think is needed, which makes use of the ideas from Allan Gibbard’s plan expressivism. According to this approach, ordinary descriptive claims like “I went to a local shop” must be understood as expressive of practical plans for the use of words, as well as ordinary beliefs. Indeterminacy amounts to practical indecision.
Location: Salle de réunion de l’Institut Jean Nicod, Rez-de-chaussé, Pavillon Jardin, 29 rue d’Ulm, 75005 Paris (link google maps)
Title: New insights into mathematical reasoning: The use of examples in mathematics
Abstract: Mathematical reasoning is often characterised by the use of deduction in justification and abstraction in theory building and concept development. Both of these aspects contribute significantly to the stringency and fruitfulness of mathematics. Using examples in reasoning does not seem to fit this picture: It involves single cases or other kinds of specification and it does not allow for the deduction of general principles. Still, for mathematicians, example use is one of their main tools when doing research. In this talk I provide an overview of where and why examples are used in mathematics, and how the apparent tension to the usual conception of mathematical reasoning can be overcome.
Location: Salle internationale (324, 3rd floor), Archives Henri Poincaré, 91 avenue de la Libération, 54001 Nancy (link google maps)
Title: TBA
Abstract: TBA
Location: Salle de Conférence de l’IHPST, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Maison de la Philosophie-Marin Mersenne, 2nd floor, 13 rue du Four, 75006 Paris (link google maps)
Registration
The seminar is free and without registration. Everyone interested is welcome to attend.
For any questions, please send an email to the organizers.
Organizers
Acknowledgement and Support
The workshop is funded by by the Institut d’Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques (IHPST), the Institut Jean Nicod (IJN) and the Archives Henri Poincaré (AHP).