It is shown that the resurrection axiom and the maximality principle may be consistently combined for various iterable forcing classes. The extent to which resurrection and maximality overlap is explored via the local maximality principle.

I investigate the relationships between three hierarchies of reflection principles for a forcing class $\Gamma $ : the hierarchy of bounded forcing axioms, of $\Sigma ^1_1$ -absoluteness, and of Aronszajn tree preservation principles. The latter principle at level $\kappa $ says that whenever T is a tree of height $\omega _1$ and width $\kappa $ that does not have a branch of order type $\omega _1$ , and whenever ${\mathord {\mathbb P}}$ is a forcing notion in $\Gamma $ , then it is not the case that ${\mathord {\mathbb P}}$ forces that T has such a branch. $\Sigma ^1_1$ -absoluteness serves as an intermediary between these principles and the bounded forcing axioms. A special case of the main result is that for forcing classes that don’t add reals, the three principles at level $2^\omega $ are equivalent. Special attention is paid to certain subclasses of subcomplete forcing, since these are natural forcing classes that don’t add reals.

We investigate properties of trees of height ω1 and their preservation under subcomplete forcing. We show that subcomplete forcing cannot add a new branch to an ω1-tree. We introduce fragments of subcompleteness which are preserved by subcomplete forcing, and use these in order to show that certain strong forms of rigidity of Suslin trees are preserved by subcomplete forcing. Finally, we explore under what circumstances subcomplete forcing preserves Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1. We show that this is the case if CH fails, and if CH holds, then this is the case iff the bounded subcomplete forcing axiom holds. Finally, we explore the relationships between bounded forcing axioms, preservation of Aronszajn trees of height and width ω1 and generic absoluteness of ${\rm{\Sigma }}_1^1$-statements over first order structures of size ω1, also for other canonical classes of forcing.

I analyze the hierarchies of the bounded resurrection axioms and their “virtual” versions, the virtual bounded resurrection axioms, for several classes of forcings (the emphasis being on the subcomplete forcings). I analyze these axioms in terms of implications and consistency strengths. For the virtual hierarchies, I provide level-by-level equiconsistencies with an appropriate hierarchy of virtual partially super-extendible cardinals. I show that the boldface resurrection axioms for subcomplete or countably closed forcing imply the failure of Todorčević’s square at the appropriate level. I also establish connections between these hierarchies and the hierarchies of bounded and weak bounded forcing axioms.

I analyze the hierarchies of the bounded and the weak bounded forcing axioms, with a focus on their versions for the class of subcomplete forcings, in terms of implications and consistency strengths. For the weak hierarchy, I provide level-by-level equiconsistencies with an appropriate hierarchy of partially remarkable cardinals. I also show that the subcomplete forcing axiom implies Larson’s ordinal reflection principle at ω2, and that its effect on the failure of weak squares is very similar to that of Martin’s Maximum.

Let Z2, Z3, and Z4 denote 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order arithmetic, respectively. We let Harrington’s Principle, HP, denote the statement that there is a real x such that every x-admissible ordinal is a cardinal in L. The known proofs of Harrington’s theorem “$Det\left( {{\rm{\Sigma }}_1^1} \right)$ implies 0♯ exists” are done in two steps: first show that $Det\left( {{\rm{\Sigma }}_1^1} \right)$ implies HP, and then show that HP implies 0♯ exists. The first step is provable in Z2. In this paper we show that Z2 + HP is equiconsistent with ZFC and that Z3 + HP is equiconsistent with ZFC + there exists a remarkable cardinal. As a corollary, Z3 + HP does not imply 0♯ exists, whereas Z4 + HP does. We also study strengthenings of Harrington’s Principle over 2nd and 3rd order arithmetic.