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This is absurd. Clearly mathematical statements are highly predictive of the real world. They aren't false. These people seem confused over the meaning of the
by Houshalter 11y ago
This is absurd. Clearly mathematical statements are highly predictive of the real world. They aren't false.
These people seem confused over the meaning of the word "exist". Regardless of whether or not numbers "exist", we can show that objects in the real world can obey the same laws as abstract numbers. If I have 2 apples, and take 2 more apples, I will never have 5 apples. The properties of math are real and apply to the real world.
If you insist on modelling philosophy on the language we happen to use, then just treat numbers as adjectives. As if 5 is a property an object can have, rather than a physical object itself. You don't need to worry about 2 "existing" any more than worrying about "tallness" exists, when talking about objects that are taller than other objects.
- abrezas 11y agoYou think that they are confusing the term exists but the reality is that what "exists" means is very hard to define. Where is the line between abstract objects and the real world you mentioned? Can you give a rule that separates the two? Do black holes exist? Electrons? Magnetic fields? Is one of these a model but doesn't really exist?
- Houshalter 11y agoArguing about the definition of a word is a huge red flag that a discussion is going nowhere. Sadly a lot of philosophy seems to be basically arguing about words. >Do black holes exist? Electrons? Magnetic fields? Yes. I mean we might not know what they are exactly or how they work, but they are clearly real phenomena that we can observe. In the same sense, "twoness" is a real property that a set of objects can have.