A Logica Modernorum: lógica e filosofia da linguagem na Escolástica dos séculos XIII e XIV

Abstract

This essay approaches two of the main contributions of mediaeval logic to the history of logic and the philosophy of language: the doctrine of suppositio and that of consequentiae. The aim here is to demonstrate that although mediaeval logic depended on the syntactical structure of Latin , authors managed to reach a high level of understanding regarding strictly logical problems, not only anticipating some theories from modern semantics , but also predicate calculus and sentential calculus. This research, especially after the 13th century, developed in complete isolation from Aristotelian logic, particularly its doctrines of syllogism and declarative sentence. It also revealed enormous originality and creativity regardless of the contribution ( which was in any case reduced) that stoic logic known from the works of Cicero and Boethius may have had.