What is PHILPROOF about?

Taking proof theory as its case study, PHILPROOF examines how proofs function in the everyday work of logicians. It starts from a gap in current epistemology of logic: formal properties are emphasized over practical and cognitive dimensions, and socio-epistemological accounts are lacking, so proofs are treated as agent-free and context-free artefacts.

PHILPROOF, instead, puts agents and diversity at the center, studying how theorems evolve under specific socio-historical conditions and how logic education works and can be improved. Its aim is a practice-oriented epistemology of logic that examines how proofs are produced, communicated, and evaluated within logical communities, how formal systems interact with human cognition, and how proof-theoretic tools support explanation and understanding, classrooms included. 

Accordingly, PHILPROOF's central guiding question is:

How can we develop a multidisciplinary approach to studying proofs and proving activities in logic through specific case studies

to address key epistemological, social, and educational aspects of logical research?