Jon Barwise
Encyclopedia
Kenneth Jon Barwise was an American
mathematician
, philosopher and logician who proposed some fundamental revisions to the way that logic
is understood and used.
Born in Independence, Missouri
to Kenneth T. and Evelyn, he was a precocious child.
A pupil of Solomon Feferman
at Stanford University
, Barwise started his research in infinitary logic
. After positions as assistant professor at the Universities of Yale
and Wisconsin
, during which time his interests turned to natural language
, he returned to Stanford in 1983 to direct the Center for the Study of Language and Information. He began teaching at Indiana University
in 1990. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
in 1999.
Barwise contended that, by being explicit about the context in which a proposition
is made, the situation, many problems in the application of logic can be eliminated. He sought ... to understand meaning and inference within a general theory of information, one that takes us outside the realm of sentences and relations between sentences of any language, natural or formal. In particular, he claimed that such an approach resolved the liar paradox
. He made use of Peter Aczel
's non-well-founded set theory
in understanding "vicious circle
s" of reasoning.
Barwise, along with his former colleague at Stanford John Etchemendy
, was the author of the popular logic textbook Language, Proof and Logic
. Unlike the Handbook which was a survey of the state of the art of Mathematical Logic
c. 1975, this work targeted elementary logic. The text is notable for including computer-aided homework problems, some of which provide visual representations of logical problems. During his time at Stanford, he was also the first Director of the Symbolic Systems Program, an interdepartmental degree program focusing on the relationships between cognition, language, logic, and computation. The K. Jon Barwise Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Symbolic Systems Program has been given periodically since 2001.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and throughout the rest of his life made an exhaustive exploration of his condition both through conventional
and alternative medicine
, and by articulating his own emotion
al experience. The Ting-sha Institute in Inverness, California
played an important part in his journey. He died in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana
. Indiana University School of Informatics
has named a fellowship for Master's and doctoral degree students in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, philosopher and logician who proposed some fundamental revisions to the way that logic
Logic
In philosophy, Logic is the formal systematic study of the principles of valid inference and correct reasoning. Logic is used in most intellectual activities, but is studied primarily in the disciplines of philosophy, mathematics, semantics, and computer science...
is understood and used.
Born in Independence, Missouri
Independence, Missouri
Independence is the fourth largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri, and is contained within the counties of Jackson and Clay. It is part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area...
to Kenneth T. and Evelyn, he was a precocious child.
A pupil of Solomon Feferman
Solomon Feferman
Solomon Feferman is an American philosopher and mathematician with major works in mathematical logic.He was born in New York City, New York, and received his Ph.D. in 1957 from the University of California, Berkeley under Alfred Tarski...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, Barwise started his research in infinitary logic
Infinitary logic
An infinitary logic is a logic that allows infinitely long statements and/or infinitely long proofs. Some infinitary logics may have different properties from those of standard first-order logic. In particular, infinitary logics may fail to be compact or complete. Notions of compactness and...
. After positions as assistant professor at the Universities of Yale
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
and Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, during which time his interests turned to natural language
Natural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
, he returned to Stanford in 1983 to direct the Center for the Study of Language and Information. He began teaching at Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
in 1990. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts multidisciplinary studies of complex and emerging problems. The Academy’s elected members are leaders in the academic disciplines, the arts, business, and public affairs.James Bowdoin, John Adams, and...
in 1999.
Barwise contended that, by being explicit about the context in which a proposition
Proposition
In logic and philosophy, the term proposition refers to either the "content" or "meaning" of a meaningful declarative sentence or the pattern of symbols, marks, or sounds that make up a meaningful declarative sentence...
is made, the situation, many problems in the application of logic can be eliminated. He sought ... to understand meaning and inference within a general theory of information, one that takes us outside the realm of sentences and relations between sentences of any language, natural or formal. In particular, he claimed that such an approach resolved the liar paradox
Liar paradox
In philosophy and logic, the liar paradox or liar's paradox , is the statement "this sentence is false"...
. He made use of Peter Aczel
Peter Aczel
Peter Aczel is a British mathematician, logician and computer scientist based at the University of Manchester. He is known for his work in non-well-founded set theory and constructive mathematics.-External links:*http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~petera/...
's non-well-founded set theory
Non-well-founded set theory
Non-well-founded set theories are variants of axiomatic set theory which allow sets to contain themselves and otherwise violate the rule of well-foundedness...
in understanding "vicious circle
Liar paradox
In philosophy and logic, the liar paradox or liar's paradox , is the statement "this sentence is false"...
s" of reasoning.
Barwise, along with his former colleague at Stanford John Etchemendy
John Etchemendy
John W. Etchemendy and of Basque descent is Stanford University's twelfth and current Provost. He succeeded John L. Hennessy to the post on September 1, 2000....
, was the author of the popular logic textbook Language, Proof and Logic
Language, Proof and Logic
Language, Proof and Logic is an educational software package, devised and written by Jon Barwise and John Etchemendy, geared to teaching formal logic through the use of a tight integration between a textbook and four software programs, where three of them are logic related and the other is an...
. Unlike the Handbook which was a survey of the state of the art of Mathematical Logic
Mathematical logic
Mathematical logic is a subfield of mathematics with close connections to foundations of mathematics, theoretical computer science and philosophical logic. The field includes both the mathematical study of logic and the applications of formal logic to other areas of mathematics...
c. 1975, this work targeted elementary logic. The text is notable for including computer-aided homework problems, some of which provide visual representations of logical problems. During his time at Stanford, he was also the first Director of the Symbolic Systems Program, an interdepartmental degree program focusing on the relationships between cognition, language, logic, and computation. The K. Jon Barwise Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Symbolic Systems Program has been given periodically since 2001.
He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1999 and throughout the rest of his life made an exhaustive exploration of his condition both through conventional
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and alternative medicine
Alternative medicine
Alternative medicine is any healing practice, "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine." It is based on historical or cultural traditions, rather than on scientific evidence....
, and by articulating his own emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al experience. The Ting-sha Institute in Inverness, California
Inverness, California
Inverness is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located in western Marin County, California. Inverness is located on the southwest shore of Tomales Bay northwest of Point Reyes Station, at an elevation of 43 feet . In the 2010 census, the population was 1,304...
played an important part in his journey. He died in 2000 in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. Indiana University School of Informatics
Indiana University School of Informatics
The Indiana University School of Informatics is an academic unit of Indiana University.The School of Informatics includes the School of Informatics at IUPUI and the School of Informatics and Computing at Bloomington, where programs include computer science and informatics...
has named a fellowship for Master's and doctoral degree students in his honor.
Works
- Barwise, J, (1975) Admissible Sets and Structures. An Approach to Definability Theory ISBN 0-387-07451-1
- Barwise, J, Editor (1977) Handbook of Mathematical Logic. ISBN 0 7204 2285 X
- Barwise, K. J. (1988) The Situation in Logic ISBN 0-937073-32-6
- Barwise, K. J. & Etchemendy, J. (1987) The Liar: An Essay in Truth and Circularity ISBN 0195059441
- Barwise, K. J. & Moss, L. (1996) Vicious Circles. On the Mathematics of Non-Wellfounded Phenomena ISBN 1-57586-008-2
- Barwise, K. J. & Perry, John (1983) Situations and Attitudes. Cambridge: MIT Press. ISBN 1-57586-193-3
- Barwise, K, J. & Seligman, J. (1997) Information Flow: the Logic of Distributed Systems ISBN 0-521-58386-1
- Barwise, K. J. & Etchemendy, J. (2002) Language, Proof and Logic ISBN 1-57586-374-X
External links
- In Memoriam: Kenneth Jon Barwise by Solomon Feferman The Bulletin of Symbolic Logic vol. 6(4) Dec. 2000, pp505–8 (PostScriptPostScriptPostScript is a dynamically typed concatenative programming language created by John Warnock and Charles Geschke in 1982. It is best known for its use as a page description language in the electronic and desktop publishing areas. Adobe PostScript 3 is also the worldwide printing and imaging...
)