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"a mathematician often finds herself engaged in an individual battle of the human mind against rigid logic" The platonist view is assumed all the way through t
by osullivj 7y ago
"a mathematician often finds herself engaged in an individual battle of the human mind against rigid logic"
The platonist view is assumed all the way through the article. Why assume that maths and logic exist independently of the human mind rather than being just another product of our thought?
- edge17 7y agowell, one may say your mind is battling rigid logic
- madez 7y agoIf two individuals who had no contact whatsoever reliably came up with the exact same ideas and structures, it is reasonable to view it as something objectively existing. On the other hand, is this philosophical debate of any relevance?
- athroway 7y agoThe vast majority of mathematicians hold platonist views. There are interesting alternative views (e.g. ultra-finitism) but I'm not well-versed enough to tell you if they yielded interesting insights or have a significant audience.