On Logic in the Philosophical System of N.O. Lossky. Lossky, Nikolay O., Logic. Materials for the 3rd Edition, Comments and Publication by Babina, Darya A., Serdyukova, Elena V.

Abstract

The metaphysical doctrine of causality becomes a kind of leitmotif in the phi­losophical studies of N.O. Lossky during his American period of creativity. Causality appears as a key concept in the philosopher’s examination of the rela­tionship between metaphysics and science, the necessity of metaphysical founda­tions for science, as discussed in a series of thematically interrelated articles pub­lished in the newspaper “Russian Thought” – “Physics and Metaphysics” (1959), “The Concept of Substance as a Necessary Condition for Scientific Knowledge” (1960), and “New Tasks for Science” (1960). For Lossky, it is also important to substantiate such a rational structure of the world that necessarily leads to the affirmation of the existence of God. The authors argue that the doctrine of causality holds a special place in the logic of N.O. Lossky and is fundamental in his development of the theory of judgment and reasoning. However, the very concept of causality within Lossky’s general philosophical system is by no means static; on the contrary, it was gradually formed and refined by the author, ac­quiring new nuances and meanings. This is evidenced by the author’s substantial revision of the chapter “Logic” regarding the univocal and multivocal connec­tions in judgment in his later period of creativity. The inclusion of the doctrine of causality in logic, developed within the framework of a metaphysical system, highlights the philosopher’s inherent drive toward an “all-encompassing” syn­thesis. The preface and the text of new paragraphs (§§ 71 and 72), prepared by N.O. Lossky for the third edition of the book, are published for the first time in the appendix to this article.