Universal logic

Universal logic is the field of logic that studies the common features of all logical systems, aiming to be to logic what universal algebra is to algebra. A number of approaches to universal logic have been proposed since the twentieth century, using model theoretic, and categorical approaches.

The roots of universal logic may go as far back as some work of Alfred Tarski in the early twentieth century, but the modern notion was first presented in the 1990s by Swiss logician Jean-Yves Béziau. The term 'universal logic' has also been separately used by logicians such as Richard Sylvan and Ross Brady to refer to a new type of (weak) relevant logic.

In the context defined by Béziau, three main approaches to universal logic have been explored in depth:

While logic has been studied for centuries, Mossakowski et al commented in 2007 that "it is embarrassing that there is no widely acceptable formal definition of “a logic”. These approaches to universal logic thus aim to address and formalize the nature of what may be called 'logic' as a form of "sound reasoning".

Since 2005, Béziau has been organizing world congresses and schools on universal logic. These events bring together hundreds of researchers and students in the field and offer tutorials and research talks on a wide range of subjects. Traditionally, the congresses have a contest and a secret speaker whose identity is only revealed when his or her talk begins.

A journal dedicated to the field, Logica Universalis, with Béziau as editor-in-chief started to be published by Birkhäuser Basel (an imprint of Springer) in 2007. Springer also started to publish a book series on the topic, Studies in Universal Logic, with Béziau as series editor.

An anthology titled Universal Logic was published in 2012, giving a new light on the subject.

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