In recent years, research achievements in logic studies have been used to advance the discipline’s modernization and the development of applied logic.
 

Logic has always been regarded as an application-oriented discipline. Dong Zhitie, a professor at the College of Philosophy and Sociology at Beijing Normal University, noted Greek philosopher Aristotle’s series of works Organon and British philosopher Francis Bacon’s book The New Organon well reflect the function of logic.
 

Du Guoping, a research fellow at the Institute of Philosophy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said there are three main sources of classical logic: Greece, India and China. 

Wang Zuoli, a professor at the School of Philosophy at Nankai University, said that compared to mathematicians, logicians pay more attention to the application of research achievements in studies of ethics, law and epistemology. Some universities have even set up research institutions to study the relationships between logic and cognition, and logic and language, as well as logical application, added Wang.
 

“The application of research achievements not only reflects the value of logic, but also promotes the development of the discipline itself,” said Wang, adding that the emergence and development of some subdisciplines, including applied logic, are directly linked with application.

Du said that applied logic underwent rapid development in the second half of the 20th century; in the 21st century, it is a focus for research by logicians.
 

The emergence and development of applied logic is a key sign of modernization, added Du.
Mutual integration between logic studies and other disciplines also promotes their common development. Some scholars claimed that the next stage of logic studies should aim for more innovative research achievements.

 

Wang Guanglu is a reporter from Chinese Social Sciences Today.