VAN DER DOES AND VAN LAMBALGEN

Logic and Language
LOGIC AND COGNITION

Advanced course

JAAP VAN DER DOES and MICHIEL VAN LAMBALGEN

ILLC: WINS, University of Amsterdam

Second week
jvddoes@wins.uva.nl and michiell@wins.uva.nl

Course description

This course addresses the question:

Can there be a role for logic in the study of cognition? The gist of our lectures will be that logic is indeed suitable to investigate important aspects of our cognitive abilities. To this end, the introduction of our lecture notes reviews argument pro and con the use of logic in cognitive studies, mainly stemming from the literature on artificial intelligence and on cognitive linguistics.

Part I shows how a logical theory of perception, tailored on Marr's cognitive theory of vision, can be used to give a detailed analysis of the semantics and pragmatics of direct perception reports.

Part II tries to buttress the model proposed by comparing it with suggestions put forward in the psychological, the linguistic, and the philosophical literature. The structure of the lecture series is as follows:

Monday, August 24:

Chapter 1: "What can logic do for cognition?"
Chapter 2: "Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of direct perception reports"

Tuesday, August 25:

Chapter 3: "The role of uncertain information in the psychology of perception; model theoretic formulation and further psychological support (cf./ chapter 6); resource bounded quantification"

Wednesday, August 26:

Chapter 4: "The "law of inertia", different kinds of stable information, their relation to the "frame problem" as proposed by Reiter and Shanahan"
Chapter 5: "Formal treatment of perception reports; interaction with logical constants"

Thursday, August 27:

Chapter 9: "Categories and concepts. Psychological experiments resulting in prototype theory; role in natural language semantics; attempted formalisations"

Friday, August 28:

Chapter 8: "Information exchange, and the interpretation of evidentials"
Chapter 7:" Conceptual semantics; the meaning and use of locative prepositions"

Prerequisites
None

Literature

Gardenfors, P. "Conceptual Spaces and Cognitive Science" collection of his articles for ESSLLI 1996, Prague
Gardenfors' new book on concepts, title as yet unknown, t.a.
Kamp, H. and B. Partee, Prototype theory and compositionality, cognition 57 (1995) 129-191.
Lambalgen, M. van and J. van der Does: 1996, A Logic of Vision, ILLC-report LP 96-14.

HOME PROGRAMME CONTACT REGISTRATION

Logic and Language	LOGIC AND COGNITION
Advanced course	JAAP VAN DER DOES and MICHIEL VAN LAMBALGEN ILLC: WINS, University of Amsterdam
Second week	jvddoes@wins.uva.nl and michiell@wins.uva.nl
Course description	This course addresses the question: Can there be a role for logic in the study of cognition? The gist of our lectures will be that logic is indeed suitable to investigate important aspects of our cognitive abilities. To this end, the introduction of our lecture notes reviews argument pro and con the use of logic in cognitive studies, mainly stemming from the literature on artificial intelligence and on cognitive linguistics. Part I shows how a logical theory of perception, tailored on Marr's cognitive theory of vision, can be used to give a detailed analysis of the semantics and pragmatics of direct perception reports. Part II tries to buttress the model proposed by comparing it with suggestions put forward in the psychological, the linguistic, and the philosophical literature. The structure of the lecture series is as follows: Monday, August 24: Chapter 1: "What can logic do for cognition?" Chapter 2: "Syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of direct perception reports" Tuesday, August 25: Chapter 3: "The role of uncertain information in the psychology of perception; model theoretic formulation and further psychological support (cf./ chapter 6); resource bounded quantification" Wednesday, August 26: Chapter 4: "The "law of inertia", different kinds of stable information, their relation to the "frame problem" as proposed by Reiter and Shanahan" Chapter 5: "Formal treatment of perception reports; interaction with logical constants" Thursday, August 27: Chapter 9: "Categories and concepts. Psychological experiments resulting in prototype theory; role in natural language semantics; attempted formalisations" Friday, August 28: Chapter 8: "Information exchange, and the interpretation of evidentials" Chapter 7:" Conceptual semantics; the meaning and use of locative prepositions"
Prerequisites	None
Literature	Gardenfors, P. "Conceptual Spaces and Cognitive Science" collection of his articles for ESSLLI 1996, Prague Gardenfors' new book on concepts, title as yet unknown, t.a. Kamp, H. and B. Partee, Prototype theory and compositionality, cognition 57 (1995) 129-191. Lambalgen, M. van and J. van der Does: 1996, A Logic of Vision, ILLC-report LP 96-14.