John L Jerz Website II Copyright (c) 2016

Epistemic Logic (Rescher, 2005)

A Survey of the Logic of Knowledge

Nicholas Rescher

JLJ - Rescher proves that he is more than a holder and publisher of opinions - he takes a mathematical turn and snows you - this time - with symbols and logic. Read it if you are into game theory, or if you are having trouble falling asleep.

This is the first book, among the several hundred and possibly even thousand, that I have reviewed on this site, that I have absolutely no patience to try to figure out. What Rescher is saying is a mystery and I do not recommend.

p.1 Epistemic logic is that branch of philosophical logic that seeks to formalize the logic of discourse about knowledge. Its object is to articulate and clarify the general principles of reasoning about claims to and attributations of knowledge - to elucidate their inferential implications and consequences.

p.5 a "logic" of knowledge must deal in general principles