Newton C.A. da Costa and his relationships with some Soviet/Russian colleagues (1986–2021)

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the eminent Brazilian logician and philosopher Newton da Costa (16.09.1929 Curitiba, Brazil – 16.04.2024, Florianapolis, Brazil), who made a significant contribution to the creation of the paraconsistent logic, as well as his relationship with the Soviet/Russian logicians and philosophers. Particular attention is paid to da Costa’s correspondence with the author of this article, which was regular and continued from 1986 to 2021. In his letters, da Costa pays tribute to the merits of N.A. Vasiliev, who in his «imaginary logic» was the first to propose a logic free from the laws of (non-)contradiction and the excluded third, and is therefore considered to be the actual forerunner of modern non-classical logic in general and para-contradictory logic in particular. Da Costa constantly expressed his deep respect for Russian culture and science, emphasized the necessity of close cooperation with the Russian Federation colleagues, emphasized the need for close cooperation between scientists from different countries, shared his impressions of Russian culture and science. He reminds his impressions from his visit (together with his daughter) to the congress on logic, methodology and philosophy of science in Moscow in the summer of 1987.