Handbook of philosophical logic. Vol. 8 (Q703304)

This volume of the second edition collects two chapters from the first edition and two new ones. The first chapter, ``The logic of questions'' (pp. 1--60) by \textit{D. Harrah}, is a nicely updated and slightly modified version of the corresponding chapter in Vol. 2 of the first edition (1984; Zbl 0572.03003). The second chapter, ``Sequent systems for modal logics'' (pp. 61--145) by \textit{H. Wansing}, is completely new. It surveys the application of various generalized types of sequent calculi to modal and temporal logics, but focuses on such formalisms which do not make explicit use of semantic parameters. Special attention is payed to display calculi. The third chapter, ``Deontic logic'' (pp. 147--264) by \textit{L. Åqvist} is very much the same as the corresponding chapter in Vol. 2 of the first edition [loc. cit.]. The only changes are in the last two sections of the first version, which offered conjectures about a system \textbf{G} and an extending hierarchy. The author proved versions of these conjectures in some of his papers from the 1990s and offers these results in this modified version of that chapter. An interesting updating of topics from deontic logic gives the new final chapter (pp. 265--343) of this volume. In it, \textit{J. Carmo} and \textit{A. Jones} discuss ``Deontic logic and contrary-to-duties'' from a theoretical as well as from an applicational point of view. The applications they have in mind concern, e.g., discrepancies between actual and ideal duties and are thus relevant for philosophy as well as for knowledge representation and the theory of agents.