Plato Was Not a Mathematical Platonist
$56.27
- Paperback
58 pages
- Release Date
26 January 2023
Summary
This Element shows that Plato maintains a clear distinction between mathematical and metaphysical realism, with method serving as the dividing line. Plato’s dialectical method requires that the truth of hypotheses be tethered to existing metaphysical objects. In contrast, the mathematician’s hypothetical method treats hypotheses as if they were first principles, thus obviating the need for a metaphysical account of their truth. This leads to Plato’s methodological “as-if” realism: in mathemat…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781009313780 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1009313789 |
| Author: | Elaine Landry |
| Publisher: | Cambridge University Press |
| Imprint: | Cambridge University Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 58 |
| Release Date: | 26 January 2023 |
| Weight: | 150g |
| Dimensions: | 230mm x 154mm x 5mm |
| Series: | Elements in the Philosophy of Mathematics |
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Critics Review
‘… Landry’s response to the Platonic call for collaboration with his text opens up the possibility of very fruitful debates.’ Susanna Saracco, Metascience‘… the author contends that Plato should not be read as a mathematical Platonist but rather as a methodological realist - or mathematical as-ifist - who treats mathematical objects as hypothetically real tools for solving problems, rather than as metaphysically existent entities … For contemporary philosophy of mathematics, this reading calls for renewed attention to actual mathematical practice and methodology, rather than the imposition of metaphysical assumptions that distort both Plato’s views and the nature of mathematics itself.’ Luis Giraldo González Ricardo, MathSciNet
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