Customer Reviews

Deviant Logic, Fuzzy Logic: Beyond the Formalism

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One of the most interesting thing about deviant logic is its widespread dismissal by the academic community despite the widespread application of fuzzy logic to home appliances and engineering devices and other aspects. Susan Haack has addressed the lacunae admirably in this wonderful book and she deserves every kudos for it. It is pitched at a not-too-technical level and should appeal to all layman and also the academics.

Wow, what a disappointment this book is! First, it is quite pricey considering it is simply a collection of Haack's papers that have been published in various journals; one would expect better editing and perhaps even a glossary but this simply copies the papers verbatim.

For those who are beginners in formal logic or who have been out of the field for a while you will likely have problems beginning in the first chapter. Who remembers the definition of "wff"?

No, Haack should have completely rewritten the papers to make the ideas and arguments approachable for all readers of this book or at least she should have included something like "intended for the graduate level philosophy student" to make her intention clear. The book needs expansion of ideas beginning with some basics as well as some "niceties" such as a glossary of acronyms and some good editing.

That said, the basic premise of the book is rather a sad statement on the present level of thinking inside formal logic. Haack quite plainly states "I do not beleve truth comes in degrees"...Indeed. From a scientific/mathematical/engineering background, I find that quite a loaded statement and indicative of a completely closed pre-postmodernist mind.

Considering the work done in mathematics, computing and science since Godel by people like Turing, Chaitin and Prigogine showing the inconsistencies that may be found at the core of formal Aristotelian-based logic and its derivatives perhaps Haack should leave her foxhole. Yes, there is no reason to keep defending formal logic's shortcomings has long since disappeared along with Newton's view of the universe.

In the end, I would highly recommend anyone thinking about purchasing this book to consider the validity of "truth does not come in degrees" and then go and buy "Fuzzy Set Theory" and Perlovsky's latest.