Workshop on Generality and Impredicativity
Location: Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Campus Mi2 – Donatello Building, Room DO 206 & MTeams link
Date: February 26th, 2025
Description
The workshop will explore the interconnections between different notions of generality and the impredicativity/predicativity divide.
The opposition between predicative and impredicative reasoning is a central topic in contemporary philosophy of mathematics. Some of the key questions are: What makes impredicative reasoning problematic? How do we distinguish predicative reasoning from impredicative reasoning?
A central aspect of this debate is the notion of generality. Recently, discussions about absolute generality have raised questions about the standard domain-based approach to quantification. In response, different types of generality—such as instance-based, generic, and schematic generality—have been explored, along with the respective logics and forms of comprehension they support.
The workshop aims to investigate whether these different notions of generality can offer solutions to existing problems with impredicativity. How do these notions of generality affect the distinction between predicativity and impredicativity in the first place?
Co-organizers
- Francesca Boccuni (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University)
- Jann Paul Engler (Vita-Salute San Raffaele University)
Panel of Speakers
- Ludovica Conti
- Laura Crosilla
- Øystein Linnebo
- Simon Schmitt
- Francisca Silva
- Davide Sutto
- Crispin Wright
Projects Involved
Funded by PNRR – Next Generation EU, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.1. Project 2022TYNY32: Proof and Understanding in Mathematics (PUMa). Purity of methods, simplicity, and explanation in mathematical reasoning. CUP: D53D23009890008 (UniSR P.I.: Francesca Boccuni)
With the support of
- The Center for Experimental and Applied Epistemology (CRESA)
- The PhD program in Philosophy at Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
- The Division of Logic, Methodology, and Philosophy of Science and Technology (DLMPST)
Under the auspices of
- The Italian Network for the Philosophy of Mathematics (FilMat)
- The Italian Society for Logic and Philosophy of Science (SILFS)
For more information, visit Vita-Salute San Raffaele University website.