Cart
Free Shipping in Australia
Proud to be B-Corp

Mathematical Thought and its Objects Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)

Mathematical Thought and its Objects By Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)

Mathematical Thought and its Objects by Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)


$101.39
Condition - New
Only 2 left

Summary

In Mathematical Thought and its Objects, Charles Parsons examines the notion of object, with the aim to navigate between nominalism, denying that distinctively mathematical objects exist, and forms of Platonism that postulate a transcendent realm of such objects.

Mathematical Thought and its Objects Summary

Mathematical Thought and its Objects by Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)

Charles Parsons examines the notion of object, with the aim to navigate between nominalism, denying that distinctively mathematical objects exist, and forms of Platonism that postulate a transcendent realm of such objects. He introduces the central mathematical notion of structure and defends a version of the structuralist view of mathematical objects, according to which their existence is relative to a structure and they have no more of a 'nature' than that confers on them. Parsons also analyzes the concept of intuition and presents a conception of it distantly inspired by that of Kant, which describes a basic kind of access to abstract objects and an element of a first conception of the infinite.

Mathematical Thought and its Objects Reviews

'This complete presentation of structuralism as a foundation programme in the philosophy of mathematics enriches significantly the debate and anyone interested in this area of studies will need to consider its relevance.' Minds & Machines

About Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)

Charles Parsons holds an AB (mathematics) and PhD (philosophy) from Harvard University and studied for a year at King's College, Cambridge. He was on the faculty at Harvard University from 1962-5 and 1989-2005 and at Columbia University from 1965-89. His publications are mainly in logic, philosophy of mathematics, and Kant. He was an editor of the posthumous works of Kurt Goedel (Collected Works, Volumes III-V).

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Objects and logic; 2. Structuralism and nominalism; 3. Modality and structuralism; 4. A problem about sets; 5. Intuition; 6. Numbers as objects; 7. Intuitive arithmetic and its limits; 8. Mathematical induction; 9. Reason.

Additional information

NLS9780521119115
9780521119115
0521119111
Mathematical Thought and its Objects by Charles Parsons (Edgar Pierce Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Harvard University, Massachusetts)
New
Paperback
Cambridge University Press
2009-09-17
400
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a new book - be the first to read this copy. With untouched pages and a perfect binding, your brand new copy is ready to be opened for the first time

Customer Reviews - Mathematical Thought and its Objects