The Institute for Logic, Language, and Computation and the Saint Andrews' Institute of Medieval Studies are sponsoring two sessions on logic and heresy at the International Medieval Congress in Leeds, July 2009.

Session 1218: Logic and Heresy, I

Wed. 15 July - 14.15-15.45

The High Middle Ages saw logic change from a mere 'handmaiden' to theology to a field of study in its own right. As a result, many tensions arose between the theological teachings of the Church and the secular teachings found in Aristotelian logic. When theological teachings were ignored in logical writings, logicians opened themselves up to the charge of heresy. Many logicians had their views condemned as heretical at some point, and these church decrees thus affected how logic was developed during the 11th to 14th centuries.

Session 1318: Logic and Heresy, II

Wed. 15 July - 16.30-18.00

The original contribution of medieval logic (the logica modernorum), like much of medieval philosophy, was a response to the recovery of Aristotle's works, including most of his logical treatises (the logica nova), during the 12th and early 13th centuries. The primary task of medieval philosophy was to find an accommodation between Aristotle's teachings and those of the church. Logic was the tool whereby that consistency was measured. This led to the development of theories of fallacy, of disputations, including obligational disputations, and of properties of terms, dominant theories of logic through to the Renaissance and beyond.

For more information about the Leeds Medieval Congress, see http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/index.html.

Read the Call for Papers.