Inferentialism Meets Feminist Logic

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• Current inferentialist approaches neglect the socio-political power dynamics that shape linguistic and inferential practices.
• Bilateralist proof systems can accommodate feminist concerns more effectively than traditional inferentialist frameworks.
• Nelson's paraconsistent logic with strong negation provides a more promising foundation for feminist logic than classical negation.

Overview

This paper examines inferentialism through feminist logic, arguing that current inferentialist approaches inadequately address socio-political power dynamics embedded in linguistic and inferential practices. The author contends that a feminist-informed inferentialism must move beyond treating the social as neutral and instead recognize how political structures shape meaning-making processes.

Methods and approach

The paper employs philosophical analysis to critique inferentialist theory. It draws on Plumwood's critique of classical negation as hierarchical and oppressive, then proposes bilateralist proof systems as an alternative framework. The analysis examines Nelson's paraconsistent logic of constructible falsity with strong negation as a potentially more adequate foundation for feminist logic.

Results

The investigation reveals tensions between inferentialism's emphasis on social constitution of meaning and its inattention to asymmetric power relations. While inferentialism aligns superficially with feminist concerns, its current formulations neglect the ways linguistic practices both reflect and reinforce political hierarchies. The bilateralist representation of proof systems offers a concrete mechanism for accommodating feminist concerns within formal logic. Specifically, the strong negation in Nelson's paraconsistent logic provides an alternative to classical negation that avoids the hierarchical structures Plumwood identified. This approach preserves primitive negation as a tool for expressing difference while rejecting the oppressive logical structures embedded in classical negation.

Implications

Reconceptualizing inferentialism to attend to power dynamics requires fundamental shifts in how logicians understand the social constitution of meaning. Proof systems must be examined not merely for formal properties but for their ideological implications. The bilateralist framework suggests that formal logical systems can be redesigned to embody more egalitarian principles without sacrificing technical rigor. This work contributes to broader feminist epistemology by demonstrating that logical foundations themselves require political scrutiny and reconstruction. Future work on feminist logic must investigate how alternative negation operators distribute authority and representation within formal systems.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.