Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Author: Mark Balaguer

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 9780195143980

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In this book, Balaguer demonstrates that there are no good arguments for or against mathematical platonism. He does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are defensible. (Philosophy)


Book Synopsis Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics by : Mark Balaguer

Download or read book Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics written by Mark Balaguer and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2001 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book, Balaguer demonstrates that there are no good arguments for or against mathematical platonism. He does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are defensible. (Philosophy)


Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Author: Mark Balaguer

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1998-08-20

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 0195352769

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In this highly absorbing work, Balaguer demonstrates that no good arguments exist either for or against mathematical platonism-for example, the view that abstract mathematical objects do exist and that mathematical theories are descriptions of such objects. Balaguer does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are justifiable views. Introducing a form of platonism, called "full-blooded platonism," that solves all problems traditionally associated with the view, he proceeds to defend anti-platonism (in particular, mathematical fictionalism) against various attacks-most notably the Quine-Putnam indispensability attack. He concludes by arguing that it is not simply that we do not currently have any good arguments for or against platonism but that we could never have such an argument. This lucid and accessible book breaks new ground in its area of engagement and makes vital reading for both specialists and all those intrigued by the philosophy of mathematics, or metaphysics in general.


Book Synopsis Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics by : Mark Balaguer

Download or read book Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics written by Mark Balaguer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998-08-20 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this highly absorbing work, Balaguer demonstrates that no good arguments exist either for or against mathematical platonism-for example, the view that abstract mathematical objects do exist and that mathematical theories are descriptions of such objects. Balaguer does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are justifiable views. Introducing a form of platonism, called "full-blooded platonism," that solves all problems traditionally associated with the view, he proceeds to defend anti-platonism (in particular, mathematical fictionalism) against various attacks-most notably the Quine-Putnam indispensability attack. He concludes by arguing that it is not simply that we do not currently have any good arguments for or against platonism but that we could never have such an argument. This lucid and accessible book breaks new ground in its area of engagement and makes vital reading for both specialists and all those intrigued by the philosophy of mathematics, or metaphysics in general.


Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics

Author: Mark Balaguer

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1998-08-20

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 0190284056

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In this highly absorbing work, Balaguer demonstrates that no good arguments exist either for or against mathematical platonism-for example, the view that abstract mathematical objects do exist and that mathematical theories are descriptions of such objects. Balaguer does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are justifiable views. Introducing a form of platonism, called "full-blooded platonism," that solves all problems traditionally associated with the view, he proceeds to defend anti-platonism (in particular, mathematical fictionalism) against various attacks-most notably the Quine-Putnam indispensability attack. He concludes by arguing that it is not simply that we do not currently have any good arguments for or against platonism but that we could never have such an argument. This lucid and accessible book breaks new ground in its area of engagement and makes vital reading for both specialists and all those intrigued by the philosophy of mathematics, or metaphysics in general.


Book Synopsis Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics by : Mark Balaguer

Download or read book Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics written by Mark Balaguer and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1998-08-20 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this highly absorbing work, Balaguer demonstrates that no good arguments exist either for or against mathematical platonism-for example, the view that abstract mathematical objects do exist and that mathematical theories are descriptions of such objects. Balaguer does this by establishing that both platonism and anti-platonism are justifiable views. Introducing a form of platonism, called "full-blooded platonism," that solves all problems traditionally associated with the view, he proceeds to defend anti-platonism (in particular, mathematical fictionalism) against various attacks-most notably the Quine-Putnam indispensability attack. He concludes by arguing that it is not simply that we do not currently have any good arguments for or against platonism but that we could never have such an argument. This lucid and accessible book breaks new ground in its area of engagement and makes vital reading for both specialists and all those intrigued by the philosophy of mathematics, or metaphysics in general.


Proof and Other Dilemmas

Proof and Other Dilemmas

Author: Bonnie Gold

Publisher: MAA

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 9780883855676

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Sixteen original essays exploring recent developments in the philosophy of mathematics, written in a way mathematicians will understand.


Book Synopsis Proof and Other Dilemmas by : Bonnie Gold

Download or read book Proof and Other Dilemmas written by Bonnie Gold and published by MAA. This book was released on 2008 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sixteen original essays exploring recent developments in the philosophy of mathematics, written in a way mathematicians will understand.


What Is Mathematics, Really?

What Is Mathematics, Really?

Author: Reuben Hersh

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 1997-08-21

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0198027362

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Most philosophers of mathematics treat it as isolated, timeless, ahistorical, inhuman. Reuben Hersh argues the contrary, that mathematics must be understood as a human activity, a social phenomenon, part of human culture, historically evolved, and intelligible only in a social context. Hersh pulls the screen back to reveal mathematics as seen by professionals, debunking many mathematical myths, and demonstrating how the "humanist" idea of the nature of mathematics more closely resembles how mathematicians actually work. At the heart of his book is a fascinating historical account of the mainstream of philosophy--ranging from Pythagoras, Descartes, and Spinoza, to Bertrand Russell, David Hilbert, and Rudolph Carnap--followed by the mavericks who saw mathematics as a human artifact, including Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Mill, and Lakatos. What is Mathematics, Really? reflects an insider's view of mathematical life, and will be hotly debated by anyone with an interest in mathematics or the philosophy of science.


Book Synopsis What Is Mathematics, Really? by : Reuben Hersh

Download or read book What Is Mathematics, Really? written by Reuben Hersh and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 1997-08-21 with total page 368 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most philosophers of mathematics treat it as isolated, timeless, ahistorical, inhuman. Reuben Hersh argues the contrary, that mathematics must be understood as a human activity, a social phenomenon, part of human culture, historically evolved, and intelligible only in a social context. Hersh pulls the screen back to reveal mathematics as seen by professionals, debunking many mathematical myths, and demonstrating how the "humanist" idea of the nature of mathematics more closely resembles how mathematicians actually work. At the heart of his book is a fascinating historical account of the mainstream of philosophy--ranging from Pythagoras, Descartes, and Spinoza, to Bertrand Russell, David Hilbert, and Rudolph Carnap--followed by the mavericks who saw mathematics as a human artifact, including Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Mill, and Lakatos. What is Mathematics, Really? reflects an insider's view of mathematical life, and will be hotly debated by anyone with an interest in mathematics or the philosophy of science.


Platonism and the Objects of Science

Platonism and the Objects of Science

Author: Scott Berman

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2020-02-20

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 1350080225

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What are the objects of science? Are they just the things in our scientific experiments that are located in space and time? Or does science also require that there be additional things that are not located in space and time? Using clear examples, these are just some of the questions that Scott Berman explores as he shows why alternative theories such as Nominalism, Contemporary Aristotelianism, Constructivism, and Classical Aristotelianism, fall short. He demonstrates why the objects of scientific knowledge need to be not located in space or time if they are to do the explanatory work scientists need them to do. The result is a contemporary version of Platonism that provides us with the best way to explain what the objects of scientific understanding are, and how those non-spatiotemporal things relate to the spatiotemporal things of scientific experiments, as well as everything around us, including even ourselves.


Book Synopsis Platonism and the Objects of Science by : Scott Berman

Download or read book Platonism and the Objects of Science written by Scott Berman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-02-20 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What are the objects of science? Are they just the things in our scientific experiments that are located in space and time? Or does science also require that there be additional things that are not located in space and time? Using clear examples, these are just some of the questions that Scott Berman explores as he shows why alternative theories such as Nominalism, Contemporary Aristotelianism, Constructivism, and Classical Aristotelianism, fall short. He demonstrates why the objects of scientific knowledge need to be not located in space or time if they are to do the explanatory work scientists need them to do. The result is a contemporary version of Platonism that provides us with the best way to explain what the objects of scientific understanding are, and how those non-spatiotemporal things relate to the spatiotemporal things of scientific experiments, as well as everything around us, including even ourselves.


Mathematics and Reality

Mathematics and Reality

Author: Mary Leng

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2010-04-22

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0191576247

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Mary Leng offers a defense of mathematical fictionalism, according to which we have no reason to believe that there are any mathematical objects. Perhaps the most pressing challenge to mathematical fictionalism is the indispensability argument for the truth of our mathematical theories (and therefore for the existence of the mathematical objects posited by those theories). According to this argument, if we have reason to believe anything, we have reason to believe that the claims of our best empirical theories are (at least approximately) true. But since claims whose truth would require the existence of mathematical objects are indispensable in formulating our best empirical theories, it follows that we have good reason to believe in the mathematical objects posited by those mathematical theories used in empirical science, and therefore to believe that the mathematical theories utilized in empirical science are true. Previous responses to the indispensability argument have focussed on arguing that mathematical assumptions can be dispensed with in formulating our empirical theories. Leng, by contrast, offers an account of the role of mathematics in empirical science according to which the successful use of mathematics in formulating our empirical theories need not rely on the truth of the mathematics utilized.


Book Synopsis Mathematics and Reality by : Mary Leng

Download or read book Mathematics and Reality written by Mary Leng and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-04-22 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mary Leng offers a defense of mathematical fictionalism, according to which we have no reason to believe that there are any mathematical objects. Perhaps the most pressing challenge to mathematical fictionalism is the indispensability argument for the truth of our mathematical theories (and therefore for the existence of the mathematical objects posited by those theories). According to this argument, if we have reason to believe anything, we have reason to believe that the claims of our best empirical theories are (at least approximately) true. But since claims whose truth would require the existence of mathematical objects are indispensable in formulating our best empirical theories, it follows that we have good reason to believe in the mathematical objects posited by those mathematical theories used in empirical science, and therefore to believe that the mathematical theories utilized in empirical science are true. Previous responses to the indispensability argument have focussed on arguing that mathematical assumptions can be dispensed with in formulating our empirical theories. Leng, by contrast, offers an account of the role of mathematics in empirical science according to which the successful use of mathematics in formulating our empirical theories need not rely on the truth of the mathematics utilized.


After Gödel

After Gödel

Author: Richard L. Tieszen

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2011-05-05

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 019960620X

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Richard Tieszen analyzes, develops, and defends the writings of Kurt Gödel (1906-1978) on the philosophy and foundations of mathematics and logic. Gödel's relation to the work of Plato, Leibniz, Husserl, and Kant is examined, and a new type of platonic rationalism that requires rational intuition, called 'constituted platonism', is proposed.


Book Synopsis After Gödel by : Richard L. Tieszen

Download or read book After Gödel written by Richard L. Tieszen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-05-05 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Richard Tieszen analyzes, develops, and defends the writings of Kurt Gödel (1906-1978) on the philosophy and foundations of mathematics and logic. Gödel's relation to the work of Plato, Leibniz, Husserl, and Kant is examined, and a new type of platonic rationalism that requires rational intuition, called 'constituted platonism', is proposed.


An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics

An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics

Author: J. Franklin

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-04-09

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 1137400730

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Mathematics is as much a science of the real world as biology is. It is the science of the world's quantitative aspects (such as ratio) and structural or patterned aspects (such as symmetry). The book develops a complete philosophy of mathematics that contrasts with the usual Platonist and nominalist options.


Book Synopsis An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics by : J. Franklin

Download or read book An Aristotelian Realist Philosophy of Mathematics written by J. Franklin and published by Springer. This book was released on 2014-04-09 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mathematics is as much a science of the real world as biology is. It is the science of the world's quantitative aspects (such as ratio) and structural or patterned aspects (such as symmetry). The book develops a complete philosophy of mathematics that contrasts with the usual Platonist and nominalist options.


Plato's Problem

Plato's Problem

Author: M. Panza

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2013-01-21

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1137298138

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What is mathematics about? And how can we have access to the reality it is supposed to describe? The book tells the story of this problem, first raised by Plato, through the views of Aristotle, Proclus, Kant, Frege, Gödel, Benacerraf, up to the most recent debate on mathematical platonism.


Book Synopsis Plato's Problem by : M. Panza

Download or read book Plato's Problem written by M. Panza and published by Springer. This book was released on 2013-01-21 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is mathematics about? And how can we have access to the reality it is supposed to describe? The book tells the story of this problem, first raised by Plato, through the views of Aristotle, Proclus, Kant, Frege, Gödel, Benacerraf, up to the most recent debate on mathematical platonism.