Ruth Barcan Marcus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruth Barcan Marcus
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Marcus in 2005
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| Born | August 2, 1921 |
| Died | February 19, 2012 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | New York University (B.A. 1941) Yale University (M.A. 1942) Yale University (Ph.D. 1946) |
| Era | Contemporary philosophy |
| Region | Western philosophy |
| School | Analytic |
| Institutions | Northwestern University Yale University |
| Thesis | Strict Functional Calculus (1946) |
| Doctoral advisor | Frederic Fitch |
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Main interests
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Formal logic |
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Notable ideas
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Quantified modal logic, Barcan formula, necessity of identity, tag theory of names |
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Influences
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Influenced
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Ruth Barcan Marcus (born Ruth Charlotte Barcan; 2 August 1921 – 19 February 2012) was an American philosopher and logician. She is famous for her work in modal logic and philosophical logic. Modal logic explores ideas like necessity (what must be true) and possibility (what could be true). Philosophical logic uses logic to understand philosophical problems.
Ruth Barcan Marcus created the first formal systems for something called quantified modal logic. This is a complex way of using logic to talk about things that are necessary or possible. She also introduced the "Barcan formula," a key rule in this field. She even came up with the "box" symbol (□) that logicians still use today to mean "it is necessary that." Many experts consider her one of the most important logicians of the 20th century.
Contents
Ruth Barcan Marcus's Education and Teaching Career
Ruth Barcan (her name before she married Jules Alexander Marcus in 1942) was a brilliant student. She graduated with high honors from New York University in 1941. She studied both mathematics and philosophy.
After that, she went to Yale University for her advanced degrees. She earned her master's degree (M.A.) in 1942 and her Ph.D. in 1946.
Teaching at Universities
Marcus taught at several universities throughout her career.
- She was a visiting professor at Northwestern University from 1950 to 1953, and again in 1959.
- From 1956 to 1963, she worked at Roosevelt University in Chicago.
- She became a professor of philosophy at the University of Illinois Chicago in 1964. She even led the department there until 1970.
- She returned to Northwestern University as a professor from 1970 to 1973.
- Her longest teaching role was at Yale University, where she was a distinguished professor from 1973 until she retired in 1992.
- Even after retiring, she continued to teach at the University of California, Irvine until 1997.
Leadership in Philosophy Organizations
Ruth Barcan Marcus also held important leadership roles in major philosophical groups:
- She chaired the Board of Officers for the American Philosophical Association (1976–1983).
- She served as President of the Association for Symbolic Logic (1983–1986).
- She was also President of the International Institute of Philosophy (1989–1992).
Key Ideas in Philosophy
Ruth Barcan Marcus made several important contributions to philosophy, especially in logic.
What is Quantified Modal Logic?
Marcus's early work focused on Quantified modal logic. This is a type of logic that combines ideas of "necessity" and "possibility" with statements about "all" or "some" things. She published three important articles in the Journal of Symbolic Logic in 1946 and 1947. These papers were a big step forward in 20th-century logic.
One of her key ideas, the Barcan formula, is a rule used in this type of logic. It helps explain how necessity and possibility work with groups of things.
The Idea of Necessity of Identity
Marcus also explored the idea of the necessity of identity. This means that if two things are truly the same, they must be the same in every possible situation. She formally proved this in 1946. This idea challenged some common beliefs at the time.
Understanding Moral Conflict
Marcus had an interesting view on moral conflicts. She said that a set of moral rules is "consistent" if there's at least one "possible world" where all those rules can be followed. This means that even if rules seem to clash in our world, they aren't necessarily inconsistent. Her argument went against the idea that moral rules are always bound to conflict.
What is Belief?
Marcus thought that "believing" something is a connection between a person and a possible situation. It's not just about saying you agree with a sentence. For example, how someone bets on something can also show what they believe. She disagreed with the idea that belief is only about language.
If someone thought something was true, but then found out it was impossible, Marcus suggested they should say they only claimed to believe it. This is similar to how we say we were "mistaken" if we claimed to know something that turned out to be false.
Essentialism and Properties
Aristotelian essentialism is about properties that something must have to be what it is. Marcus defined an essential property as one that:
- Something has it.
- Not everything has it.
- If something has it, it has it necessarily.
- It doesn't completely define something on its own (like being a "natural kind").
Some philosophers, like Willard Van Orman Quine, thought that modal logic had to accept these essential truths. But Marcus argued that some modal systems could exist where no essential claims were true.
Substitutional Quantification
Marcus also suggested a different way to understand how "all" or "some" statements work in logic. This is called "truth-value semantics". Instead of thinking about groups of objects, it focuses on whether statements are true or false. She showed that this approach doesn't lead to contradictions. This method can be useful for things like mathematics or talking about fictional stories.
Works by Ruth Barcan Marcus
Ruth Barcan Marcus wrote and edited several important books and many academic papers.
Books
- The Logical Enterprise, edited with others, Yale, 1995.
- Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science, VII, edited with others, North Holland, 1986.
- Modalities: Philosophical Essays, Oxford University Press, 1993. This book contains many of her most important papers.
Academic Papers
- You can find lists of her papers published under her maiden name, Ruth C. Barcan, and her married name, Ruth Barcan Marcus, on PhilPapers.
Awards and Recognitions
Ruth Barcan Marcus received many honors and awards for her work:
- Phi Beta Kappa (1941) – A prestigious academic honor society.
- Guggenheim Fellow (1953) – A grant for advanced research.
- National Science Foundation Fellow (1963–1964)
- Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1977)
- Medal of the Collège de France (1986)
- Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, University of Illinois Chicago (1995) – An honorary degree.
- Wilbur Cross Medal, Yale University (2000)
- Lauener Prize (2007–08) – For analytical philosophy.
- Quinn Prize (2007) – From the American Philosophical Association for her service to the profession.
See also
In Spanish: Ruth Barcan Marcus para niños
