Skip to main content
Log in

Five Observations Concerning the Intended Meaning of the Intuitionistic Logical Constants

  • Published:
Journal of Philosophical Logic Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper contains five observations concerning the intended meaning of the intuitionistic logical constants: (1) if the explanations of this meaning are to be based on a non-decidable concept, that concept should not be that of `proof"; (2) Kreisel"s explanations using extra clauses can be significantly simplified; (3) the impredicativity of the definition of → can be easily and safely ameliorated; (4) the definition of → in terms of `proofs from premises" results in a loss of the inductive character of the definitions of ∨ and ∃ and (5) the same occurs with the definition of ∀ in terms of `proofs with free variables".

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Bridges, D. S. and Richman, R. (1987): Varieties of Constructive Mathematics, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brouwer, L. E. J. (1927): Ñber Definitionsbereiche von Funktionen, Math. Ann. 97, 60–75. English extract in J. van Heijenoort (ed.), From Frege to Gödel: A Source Book in Mathematical Logic, 1897–1931, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 1967, pp. 457–463.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Dalen, D. (1973): Lectures on intuitionism, in A. R. D. Mathias and H. Rogers (eds.), Cambridge Summer School of Mathematical Logic, Springer, Berlin, pp. 1–94.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Dalen, D. (1983): Logic and Structure, 2nd. rev. edn, Springer, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Dalen, D. (1986): Intuitionistic logic, in D. Gabbay and F. Guenthner (eds.), Handbook of Philosophical Logic, Vol. III, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 225–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dummett, M. A. E., with the assistance of R. Minio (1977): Elements of Intuitionism, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gentzen, G. (1935): Untersuchungen über das logische Schliessen (I, II), Math. Z. 39, 176–210. Quoted by the English version in the Collected Papers, ed. by M. E. Szabo, North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1969, pp. 69–131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heyting, A. (1934): Mathematische Grundlagenforschung: Intuitionism, Beweistheorie, Springer, Berlin. Quoted by the French expanded edition, Les Fondements des Mathématiques. Intuitionnisme. Théorie de la Démonstration, Gauthier-Villars, Paris, 1955.

    Google Scholar 

  • Heyting, A. (1956): Intuitionism: An Introduction, North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kolmogorov, A. N. (1932): Zur Deutung der intuitionistischen Logik, Math. Z. 35, 58–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreisel, G. (1961): Set-theoretical problems suggested by the notion of potential totality, in Infinitistic Methods: Proceedings of the Symposium of Foundations of Mathematics, Warsaw, 29 September 1959, Pergamon Press, Oxford, pp. 103–140.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreisel, G. (1962): Foundations of intuitionistic logic, in E. Nagel, P. Suppes and A. Tarski (eds.), Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, Vol. I, Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA, pp. 198–210.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreisel, G. (1965): Mathematical logic, in T. L. Saaty (ed.), Lectures on Modern Mathematics, Vol. III, Wiley, New York, pp. 95–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreisel, G. (1970): Church's thesis: A kind of reducibility axiom for constructive mathematics, in J. Myhill, A. Kino and R. E. Vesley (eds.), Intuitionism and Proof Theory, North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 121–150.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Löf, P. (1984): Intuitionistic Type Theory: Notes by Giovanni Sambin of a Series of Lectures Given in Padova, June 1980, Bibliopolis, Naples.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Löf, P. (1985): On the meanings of the logical constants and the justifications of the logical laws, in Atti degli Incontri di Lò gica Matemàtica, Vol. II, Scuola di Specializzazione in Lò gica Matemàtica, Dipartimento di Matemàtica, Università di Siena, pp. 203–281. Quoted by the reprint in Nordic Journal of Philosophical Logic 1 (1996), 11–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Löf, P. (1987): Truth of a proposition, evidence of a judgement, validity of a proof, Synthese 73, 407–420.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin-Löf, P. (1994): Analytic and synthetic judgements in type theory, in P. Parrini (ed.), Kant and Contemporary Epistemology, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, pp. 87–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nordström, B., Petersson, K. and Smith, J. M. (1990): Programming in Martin-Löf's Type Theory: An Introduction, Clarendon Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prawitz, D. (1977): Meaning and proofs: on the conflict between classical and intuitionistic logic, Theoria 43, 1–40.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundholm, G. (1983): Constructions, proofs and the meaning of the logical constants, J. Philos. Logic 12, 151–172.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundholm, G. (1986): Proof theory and meaning, in D. Gabbay and F. Guenthner (eds.), Handbook of Philosophical Logic, Vol. III, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 471–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundholm, G. (1994): Vestiges of realism, in B. McGuiness and G. Oliveri (eds.), The Philosophy of Michael Dummett, Kluwer Acad. Publ., Dordrecht, pp. 137–165.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troelstra, A. S. (1969): Principles of Intuitionism, Springer, Berlin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troelstra, A. S. (1977): Aspects of constructive mathematics, in K. J. Barwise (ed.), Handbook of Mathematical Logic, North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp. 973–1052.

    Google Scholar 

  • Troelstra, A. S. and D. van Dalen (1988): Constructivism in Mathematics: An Introduction, Vol. I, North-Holland, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weinstein, S. (1983): The intended interpretation of intuitionistic logic, J. Philos. Logic 12, 57–82.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Díez, G.F. Five Observations Concerning the Intended Meaning of the Intuitionistic Logical Constants. Journal of Philosophical Logic 29, 409–424 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004881914911

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004881914911

Navigation