John Lemmon
Encyclopedia
Edward John Lemmon was a logician and philosopher born in Sheffield
, UK
. He is most well known for his work on modal logic
, particularly his joint text with Dana Scott
published posthumously (Lemmon and Scott, 1977).
Lemmon attended King Edward VII School
in Sheffield until 1947, before reading Literae humaniores
at Magdalen College, Oxford
as an undergraduate, and was appointed Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford
in 1957. In 1963, following a visiting professorship in Texas
, Lemmon emigrated to the United States to lecture at the Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University
). Lemmon died from heart failure whilst climbing.
visited Oxford University in 1956 to give the John Locke lectures
, later published as his Time and Modality (Prior 1957). Prior returned for twelve months soon after, to lead a small group including Lemmon, Peter Geach
and Ivo Thomas (Copeland 2004). John Lemmon became one of the early champions of Prior's distinctive approach to tense logic, and Lemmon's later work on alethtic modality and applications of modal logic to ethics bear the mark of Prior's influence. At this time, Lemmon published a treatment of alethic and epistemic modalities which introduced some systems of non-normal modal logics that have proven to have had lasting interest, the alethic system S0.5 and the epistemic systems E1–E5 linked to the systems S0.5 and Lewis's system S2–S5, but which lack the law of necessitation (Lemmon 1957).
Lemmon was a pioneer of the modern approach to the semantics of modal logic, particularly through his collaboration with Dana Scott
, but also became interested in the rival algebraic semantics of modal logic that follows more closely the kind of semantics found in the work of Tarski and Jònson.
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. He is most well known for his work on modal logic
Modal logic
Modal logic is a type of formal logic that extends classical propositional and predicate logic to include operators expressing modality. Modals — words that express modalities — qualify a statement. For example, the statement "John is happy" might be qualified by saying that John is...
, particularly his joint text with Dana Scott
Dana Scott
Dana Stewart Scott is the emeritus Hillman University Professor of Computer Science, Philosophy, and Mathematical Logic at Carnegie Mellon University; he is now retired and lives in Berkeley, California...
published posthumously (Lemmon and Scott, 1977).
Lemmon attended King Edward VII School
King Edward VII School (Sheffield)
King Edward VII School is a secondary school and language college located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. KES, named after the reigning monarch, was formed in 1905 when Wesley College was merged with Sheffield Royal Grammar School on the site of the former on Glossop Road...
in Sheffield until 1947, before reading Literae humaniores
Literae Humaniores
Literae Humaniores is the name given to an undergraduate course focused on Classics at Oxford and some other universities.The Latin name means literally "more humane letters", but is perhaps better rendered as "Advanced Studies", since humaniores has the sense of "more refined" or "more learned",...
at Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College, Oxford
Magdalen College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. As of 2006 the college had an estimated financial endowment of £153 million. Magdalen is currently top of the Norrington Table after over half of its 2010 finalists received first-class degrees, a record...
as an undergraduate, and was appointed Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford
Trinity College, Oxford
The College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity in the University of Oxford, of the foundation of Sir Thomas Pope , or Trinity College for short, is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It stands on Broad Street, next door to Balliol College and Blackwells bookshop,...
in 1957. In 1963, following a visiting professorship in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Lemmon emigrated to the United States to lecture at the Claremont Graduate School (now Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
). Lemmon died from heart failure whilst climbing.
Modal logic
John Lemmon became interested in modal logic when Arthur PriorArthur Prior
Arthur Norman Prior was a noted logician and philosopher. Prior founded tense logic, now also known as temporal logic, and made important contributions to intensional logic, particularly in Prior .-Biography:Prior was entirely educated in New Zealand, where he was fortunate to have come under the...
visited Oxford University in 1956 to give the John Locke lectures
John Locke lectures
The John Locke Lectures are a series of annual lectures in philosophy given at the University of Oxford. They are one of the world's most prestigious academic lecture series, comparable to the Gifford Lectures given in Scottish universities...
, later published as his Time and Modality (Prior 1957). Prior returned for twelve months soon after, to lead a small group including Lemmon, Peter Geach
Peter Geach
Peter Thomas Geach is a British philosopher. His areas of interest are the history of philosophy, philosophical logic, and the theory of identity.He was educated at Balliol College, Oxford...
and Ivo Thomas (Copeland 2004). John Lemmon became one of the early champions of Prior's distinctive approach to tense logic, and Lemmon's later work on alethtic modality and applications of modal logic to ethics bear the mark of Prior's influence. At this time, Lemmon published a treatment of alethic and epistemic modalities which introduced some systems of non-normal modal logics that have proven to have had lasting interest, the alethic system S0.5 and the epistemic systems E1–E5 linked to the systems S0.5 and Lewis's system S2–S5, but which lack the law of necessitation (Lemmon 1957).
Lemmon was a pioneer of the modern approach to the semantics of modal logic, particularly through his collaboration with Dana Scott
Dana Scott
Dana Stewart Scott is the emeritus Hillman University Professor of Computer Science, Philosophy, and Mathematical Logic at Carnegie Mellon University; he is now retired and lives in Berkeley, California...
, but also became interested in the rival algebraic semantics of modal logic that follows more closely the kind of semantics found in the work of Tarski and Jònson.
Works by Lemmon
- 1957. 'New foundations for Lewis modal systems'. Journal of Symbolic LogicJournal of Symbolic LogicThe Journal of Symbolic Logic is a peer-reviewed mathematics journal published quarterly by Association for Symbolic Logic.Founded in 1936, the journal publishes articles on mathematical logic....
22:176-186 - With Michael DummettMichael DummettSir Michael Anthony Eardley Dummett FBA D.Litt is a British philosopher. He was, until 1992, Wykeham Professor of Logic at the University of Oxford...
, 1959. 'Modal Logics between S4 and S5'. In Zeitschrifl für Mathematische Logik und Grundlagen der Mathematik, 5:250-264 - 1959, "Is There Only One Correct System of Modal Logic?" Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Supplementary Volumes, 33:23-40
- 1967, If I Know, Do I Know that I Know?, In: A. Stroll, dir., Epistemology, New York: Harper and Rowe, pp54–83.
- With Dana ScottDana ScottDana Stewart Scott is the emeritus Hillman University Professor of Computer Science, Philosophy, and Mathematical Logic at Carnegie Mellon University; he is now retired and lives in Berkeley, California...
, 1977. An introduction to modal logic. Oxford: Blackwell. - Beginning Logic, Thomas Nelson and Sons, London, 1965.