Space, number, and geometry from Helmholtz to Cassirer (Q269793)

This is a richly informative look at the philosophical problem of space, geometry, magnitude, and number as it appears in the 19th century and in the first three decades of the 20th century. It chooses to look at that philosophical landscape through the lens offered by the interpretations of neo-Kantians (A. Riehl, H. Cohen, E. Cassirer), their attempts to save something of the Kantian synthetic a priori, and their objections to Helmholtz's arguments on number, magnitude, geometry, rigid bodies, free mobility. Frege and Dedekind make a brief showing in matters related to numbers. Klein and metric projective geometry are central to the chapter on the concept of space in the 1870s through the 1890s, while for Euclidean vs.\ non-Euclidean geometry Poincaré's conventionalism is brought to the fore, together with Cassirer's and Schlick's views on the matter. Einstein, Cassirer, Schlick, and Reichenbach figure prominently in the last chapter devoted to general relativitty. The author also carefully points out the extent of her agreement and disagreement with the work of Michael Friedman and Thomas Ryckman on matters related to Helmholtz and neo-Kantianism.