First-order logic learning sources

[Muhammad Nael]

I've looked into it, but I can't find any good, publicly available, introductory learning material for First-Order Logic... I believe it would be easier for me to digest Lojban if I see its backbone first... This may be contradictory to the customs, but it's how I do it ;)
I haven't been to high-school yet; so I know about different logical and formal systems as much as I know about the back of my hand (translates to 'nothing' in my book)

PS. Is there any way to edit posts here?

Regards,
MN

[John E Clifford]

Well, I think I could send you copies of either (or both) my books, but I don't dislike you so I'll pass.  Most logic books are focused on proofs and devote very little time to the syntax of logic, which would be the part of interest to Lobanists.  The most genral piece I know of (in easiloy available things) is a section near the end of Kalish, Montage, Mar: Logic, Techniques of Formal Reasoning.  That gives a general framework for just about everything that can be done within the formalism.  But the syntax of formal logic is incredibly simple compared to that of even Lojban, since there is (almost) no room for compound subjects or other arguments or predicates modifying predicates or any of the other things that generate, in Lojban. most of the complexities (but allow it to function as a language which can actually express something). It is possible to do pure first order (or higher) syntax in Lojban, but the result will almost always seem stilted and unnatural.

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From: Muhammad Nael <muhamm...@gmail.com>
To: loj...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Sun, August 21, 2011 9:07:56 AM
Subject: [lojban] First-order logic learning sources

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[david demartin]

hey, why don't you check this (awsome) site http://library.nu/
there are a ton of free academic ebooks, and I'm pretty sure you could find an introduction that would suite you.
best

d.

2011/8/21 Muhammad Nael <muhamm...@gmail.com>

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[John E. Clifford]

Alas, precious little elementary and even less on syntax ( of course, I am making the assumption that this first desire).

Sent from my iPad

[Muhammad Nael]

Well, I think I could send you copies of either (or both) my books, but I don't dislike you so I'll pass.

I'm taking this to mean that the books you have are barely acceptable....
"......."
I've read about formal, first-order and second-order logics on Wikipedia; merely scratching the surface, but 'formal' looked too simplistic to be a ground for a complete language.
Seeing as there isn't any good free online courses, I'll ask for professional books... You have up to 40$, more if the book is really good and more or less universal.
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[davidjenyv]
I'll have a look at that site, although I still need recommendations for what books to look for.

Regards

[John E Clifford]

No, I meant that I am a terrible writer.  But, for various reasons, my texts do spend a lot of time on syntax.
FOL (and SOL) are only good (if at all) for the purely descriptive (truth functional) part of language.  So it underlies the non-cmavo part of Lojban (with a few exceptions: some quantifiers and connectives, for example).  It can be enriched in a variety of ways, which cover yet more cmavo (modalities and tenses and such like) but still fit the general patterns (but are even less like Lojban).  This leaves a large number of cmavo which fit into FOL not at all (emotions, conversation grease, and the like).
The syntax per se of FLO is incredibly simple, though it takes a while to come to see it in operation easily.  It is, by and large, assumed in most of the books on the list (at least as far as I looked, about the first 150).  The list is very interesting to me, since it has the latest (well, a lot more recent) infor on philosophical logic (i.e., really very non-standard stuff).  

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From: Muhammad Nael <muhamm...@gmail.com>
To: loj...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Mon, August 22, 2011 9:22:09 AM
Subject: Re: [lojban] First-order logic learning sources

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