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doxastic logic

doxastic logic

9.9
A branch of logic that studies belief and disbelief
  • noun
  • /ˈdɒksæstɪk ˈlɒdʒɪk/
  • Specialized
translation icon : lógica doxástica
  • Unlike epistemic logic, doxastic logic focuses specifically on belief rather than knowledge.

Examples

  • Many philosophers use doxastic logic to model rational belief in agents.

  • Many philosophers debate the principles of doxastic logic.

  • The development of doxastic logic has helped formalize theories of knowledge in epistemology.

  • The study of doxastic logic has gained popularity in recent years.

  • Many philosophers use doxastic logic to model rational belief in agents.

  • The development of doxastic logic has helped formalize theories of knowledge in epistemology.

  • Unlike epistemic logic, doxastic logic focuses specifically on belief rather than knowledge.

Surface Forms

Morphology

doxastic + logic

Both constituents are compositionally related: 'doxastic' means 'pertaining to beliefs' and 'logic' means 'the study/discipline of reasoning', so a learner who knows both can infer this refers to the study of reasoning about beliefs. Although the term is technical, its meaning is transparently built from its parts and thus predictable to someone who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Doxastic logic comes from the Greek word doxa, which means 'belief' or 'opinion', so doxastic literally means 'about belief'; thus doxastic logic is the part of logic that studies how people form or change their beliefs.