Methods And Methodologies: An Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter illustrates some of the challenges that have confronted philosophers of medieval logic in recent years. It first provides a brief sketch of the efforts to interpret William of Ockham's doctrine of supposition as a doctrine of quantification along the lines of modern standard logic. While other medieval philosophers' logical theories have received attention by modern philosophers working in the analytic tradition, attention paid to Ockham's supposition theory has outstripped most else. The author proposes a typology of methodological approaches to the study of medieval logic. The four types are: 1. rational reconstruction, 2. historical reconstruction, 3. history of applied logic, and 4. social history. Each of these types are outlined in the chapter. Keywords: medieval logicians; Ockham; supposition theory