Prof. Dr. Godehard Link, Dipl.Math.

Personal information

Studied mathematics and philosophy at LMU Munich, with a focus on mathematical and philosophical logic, physics, logic and philosophy of science, as well as linguistics, funded by the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes. Former assistant to Wolfgang Stegmüller. Until 2009, Professor of Logic and Philosophy of Science at LMU Munich. Speaker for the graduate program "Language, Information, Logic" (SIL) at LMU. Research projects funded by the DFG and Humboldt Foundation. Research visits at MIT, IBM Deutschland, and Stanford University (multiple times). Served as the Director of the Philosophy department, Vice-Dean, and Dean of Research at LMU, as well as a board member of the Munich Center for Neuroscience - Mind and Brain (MCN) and the Core Faculty of the Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN). Co-initiator of the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy (MCMP).

Curriculum vitae

Selected publications

1. Objectivity and Truth in Mathematics: A Sober Non-platonist Perspective. In: S. Centrone et al. (eds.), Mathesis Universalis, Computability and Proof. Cham: Springer 2019, 159-202.
2. Humean Delusions. In: W. Freitag et al. (eds.), Von Rang und Namen. Philosophical Essays in Honour of Wolfgang Spohn. Münster: mentis 2016, 255-284.
3. Formal Discourse in Russell: From Metaphysics to Philosophical Logic. In: G. Link (ed.), Formalism and Beyond. On the Nature of Mathematical Discourse. Boston-Berlin: de Gruyter 2014, 119-182.
4. Collegium Logicum. Logische Grundlagen der Philosophie und der Wissenschaften. 2 Bände. Band 1: Paderborn: mentis 2009; Band 2: Münster: mentis 2014.
5. Bertrand Russell – The Invention of Mathematical Philosophy. Introduction to: G. Link (ed.), One Hundred Years of Russell’s Paradox. Mathematics, Logic, Philosophy. Berlin: de Gruyter 2004, 1–28.
6. Algebraic Semantics in Language and Philosophy. Stanford: Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI) Publications 1998.
7. The Logical Analysis of Plurals and Mass Terms: A Lattice-Theoretical Approach. In: R. Bäuerle et al. (eds.), Meaning, Use, and Interpretation of Language. Berlin: de Gruyter 1983, 302-323. Reprinted in preceding item, pp. 11-34; again reprinted in P. Porter and B Partee (eds.), Formal Semantics. The Essential Readings. Oxford: Blackwell 2002, pp. 127-146.
8. Representation Theorems of the de Finetti Type for (Partially) Symmetric Probability Measures. In: R. Jeffreys (ed.), Studies in Inductive Logic and Probability. Volume II. Berkeley - Los Angeles – London: University of California Press 1980, 207-231.
9. Montague-Grammatik. Die logischen Grundlagen. München: Fink 1979.
10. Intensionale Semantik. München: Fink 1976.

Academic distinctions

• The Bertrand Russell Society Book Award for editing One Hundred Years of Russell’s Paradox: Mathematics, Logic, Philosophy. McMaster University, Toronto, Canada 2005

Research interests

Logic, philosophical and linguistic semantics, philosophy of mathematics and science, Russell studies.

Other activities

Research-related activities

• 1992 - 2001 Faculty member, and since 1995, speaker of the interdisciplinary DFG Graduate Program "Language, Information, Logic" (SIL).
• 1995 - 1999 PI of the DFG research group "Ontological reduction in the light of metamathematical methods" (main researchers: Volker Halbach, Karl-Georg Niebergall).
• 1997 Organisation of the international workshop "Concepts of Reduction in Logic and Philosophy", LMU.
• 2000 Guest Editor, Erkenntnis vol. 53, Nr. 1-2 (2000).
• 2001 Organisation of the international conference "One Hundred Years of Russell’s Paradox", LMU.
• 2001 - 2004 PI of the DFG research project (with Prof. M. Folkerts, LMU) "Geschichte der beweistheoretischen Ordinalzahlanalyse und ihre Implikationen für die Philosophie der Mathematik" (main researcher: Christian Tapp).
• 2005 - 2011 German Speaker of the Humboldt TransCoop Research Group (with American partner Prof. M. Detlefsen, University of Notre Dame, USA) on "Imaginary and Ideal Elements and Limit Concepts in Mathematics: Their Theory, History, and Philosophical Understanding".

Administrational duties

• 2004 - 2006 Director of the Department of Philosophy etc., LMU.
• 2004 - 2008 Prodekan, Fakultät für Philosophie, Wissenschaftstheorie und Religionswissenschaft, LMU.
• 2005 Co-Founder of the research organisation "Munich Center for Neurosciences - Brain and Mind" (MCN) as part of the research initiative LMUinnovativ, LMU.
• 2005 - 2009 Board Member of the MCN, LMU.
• 2006 - 2009 Faculty Member und Member of the Scientific Board, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences (GSN), as part of the German Excellence Initiative.
• Since 2009 Member of the Kuratorium of the MCN.