No label defined (Q4023929)
From MaRDI portal
!
This is the item page for this Wikibase entity, intended for internal use and editing purposes. Please use the normal view instead:
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 108470
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| default for all languages | No label defined |
||
| English | No label defined |
scientific article; zbMATH DE number 108470 |
Statements
23 January 1993
0 references
Kantian position in the philosophy of mathematics
0 references
foundations of mathematics
0 references
axiomatization
0 references
Descartes
0 references
Frege
0 references
Russell
0 references
Hilbert
0 references
0.7467766404151917
0 references
Mary Tiles has written an interesting book seeking to rehabilitate a Kantian position in the philosophy of mathematics. She sees the strength of this option to lie in its ability to provide an alternative to the computational image of mathematics. Tiles believes that both the logicist and formalist approaches to the foundations of mathematics have failed but sees a revised Kantian approach to provide a solution. The core of Tiles' approach is found in Chapter 5 of the book. Based on ideas found in Kant, she develops a theory of ``ideal elements'' which lie behind the process of axiomatization. ``Ideal elements'' inspire axiomatization and motivate extensions of mathematical systems which are not necessarily conservative. She develops an elaborate account of how formal systems can related to ``ideal elements'' which as ideals cannot be completely represented. Tiles believes her alternative to be important since it establishes the continuing relevance of mathematical reasoning in the post-modern post-structural age. Most of the volume is an historical analysis of the attitudes and practices of Descartes, Frege, Russell, and Hilbert. Philosophers and historians of mathematics will want to read these sections of the book carefully. Tiles shows these figures to be more subtle than they often seem to be in the standard presentations of their views. The volume is clearly written and appropriate for advanced undergraduates. An extensive bibliography and suggestions for further reading are included.
0 references