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Relevant consequence and empirical inquiry

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Abstract

A criterion of adequacy is proposed for theories of relevant consequence. According to the criterion, scientists whose deductive reasoning is limited to some proposed subset of the standard consequence relation must not thereby suffer a reduction in scientific competence. A simple theory of relevant consequence is introduced and shown to satisfy the criterion with respect to a formally defined paradigm of empirical inquiry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Dalle Molle D'Intelligence Artificielle Perceptive, Case Postale 609, CH-1920, Martigny, Valais, Switzerland

    Daniel N. Osherson

  2. Dept. of Computer and Information Science, 200 South 33rd Street, 19104-6389, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Scott Weinstein

Authors
  1. Daniel N. Osherson
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  2. Scott Weinstein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel N. Osherson.

Additional information

Research support was provided by the Office of Naval Research under contract No. N00014-89-J-1725 to Osherson and Weinstein, Swiss National Science Foundation under contract No. 21-32399.91 and by a Siemens Corporation grant to Osherson.

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Osherson, D.N., Weinstein, S. Relevant consequence and empirical inquiry. J Philos Logic 22, 437–448 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01052535

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01052535

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