Review
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“More Precisely is a very useful tool for philosophers with a
limited formal background who nevertheless to leave a lasting
mark on the discipline.” ― Nathan Salmon, Distinguished Professor
of Philosophy, University of California, Santa Barbara
“Back in the day, philosophy graduate students might have been
expected to complete a course in metalogic. It would be far
better to complete a course that covers the topics presented
here. This is excellent coverage of a wide range of mathematical
ideas and techniques that are at the heart of many contemporary
issues in metaphysics and epistemology.” ― F. Thomas Burke,
University of South Carolina
COMMENTS ON FIRST EDITION
“[More Precisely] addresses a need by giving an elementary
presentation of a number of technical concepts used in
philosophy, which previously were not collected together. It
should be especially useful for students preparing for graduate
work whose undergraduate training is likely to have skipped over
at least some of the concepts that the book covers. The material
in each chapter is presented in a very clear and engaging way,
without presupposing any background beyond basic high school
mathematics.” ― Susan Vineberg, Wayne State University
“This is the book I wish I had when I was learning philosophy.
It does an excellent job introducing students to the formal tools
that philosophers use in an accessible yet rigorous way. From set
theory to possible words semantics to probability theory to the
mathematics of infinity, all the key concepts are taught in a way
that will provide students the foundation for being solid
philosophers. Moreover, the concepts are taught in an engaging
way, and frequent examples are given to explain why these formal
notions are philosophically relevant. I’m going to ask all my
incoming graduate students to read this book. And there’s enough
material in here that most philosophy professors could learn
something from the book as well.” ― Bradley Monton, University of
Colorado, Boulder
“This is a splendid and innovative book. It explains accurately
and accessibly a wide range of technical topics frequently drawn
upon in philosophy. Wonderfully informative and clear, this book
is a lifeline for students at undergraduate or graduate level.” ―
Chris Daly, University of Manchester
“This is a great resource! Philosophers have always used the
tools of mathematics to make their cls clearer and more
precise, even more so since the end of the nineteenth century.
Until now we haven’t had a systematic way to acquire those tools.
Steinhart’s book remedies the situation, presenting the
fundamental ideas thoroughly and comprehensively. Highly
recommended for anyone getting into the serious study of
philosophy.” ― Anthony Dardis, Hofstra University
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From the Back Cover
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More Precisely is a rigorous and engaging introduction to the
mathematics necessary to do philosophy. Eric Steinhart provides
lucid explanations of many basic mathematical concepts and sets
out the most commonly used notational conventions. He also
demonstrates how mathematics applies to fundamental issues in
various branches of philosophy, including metaphysics, philosophy
of language, epistemology, and ethics. This second edition adds a
substantial section on decision and game theory, as well as a
chapter on information theory and the efficient coding of
information.
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