José Alejandro Fernández Cuesta, Michele Piazzai & Umberto Rivieccio: Quantum logics beyond physics

Tuesday June 10 2025 @11:30 (CET)
Sala B, Edificio de Humanidades, UNED & online

Abstract
Quantum logics are non-classical logics defined from the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. While they are conventionally used to model inferential processes in physics, their scope of application is potentially much broader. We argue that these logics can serve as a framework to model human cognition, as their semantics seem suitable to capture not only how people reason about quantum mechanics, but how they reason in general. We begin by defining quantum logics from an algebraic perspective in a classical first-order setting. We then discuss findings from cognitive science that suggest these logics are apt to characterize human reasoning. Next, we consider how this connection between quantum logics and cognition may contribute to longstanding philosophical debates about the epistemological status of logic. We conclude by discussing how cognitive applications of quantum logics can advance our understanding of human psychology as well as quantum foundations.

Bio
José Alejandro Fernández Cuesta is currently a predoctoral fellow at Santander-UCM, carrying out his thesis on quantum logic. He has been profesor asociado at Rey Juan Carlos University, teaching Formal Logic at different levels. His lines of research focus on the study of the philosophy of logic and the foundation and application of different non-classical languages ​​(especially quantum and modal semantics).

Michele Piazzai is Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries at the University of Edinburgh Business School. He holds a PhD from Delft University of Technology and was formerly a faculty member at the University of Amsterdam and at Carlos III University of Madrid. His research interests include formal models of categorization and decisionmaking, particularly in the context of creative product markets.

Umberto Rivieccio obtained his PhD jointly from the University of Genoa and the University of Barcelona. Throughout the last decade he has been a wandering scholar, living and holding research positions at a number of universities in Europe, Asia and the Americas. He is now an Assistant Professor at the Department of Logic, History, and Philosophy of Science of UNED. His main research is in the areas of algebraic logic, duality theory and non-classical logics, with a particular focus on paraconsistent logics.