Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics

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  • J. D. Hamkins, Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics, MIT Press, 2021.
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year = {2021},
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isbn = {9780262542234},
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From the Preface:

Philosophical conundrums pervade mathematics, from fundamental questions of mathematical ontology—What is a number? What is infinity?—to questions about the relations among truth, proof, and meaning. What is the role of figures in geometric argument? Do mathematical objects exist that we cannot construct? Can every mathematical question be solved in principle by computation? Is every truth of mathematics true for a reason? Can every mathematical truth be proved?

This book is an introduction to the philosophy of mathematics, in which we shall consider all these questions and more. I come to the subject from mathematics, and I have strived in this book for what I hope will be a fresh approach to the philosophy of mathematics—one grounded in mathematics, motivated by mathematical inquiry or mathematical practice. I have strived to treat philosophical issues as they arise organically in mathematics. Therefore, I have organized the book by mathematical themes, such as number, infinity, geometry, and computability, and I have included some mathematical arguments and elementary proofs when they bring philosophical issues to light.

4 thoughts on “Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics”

  1. Pingback: Lectures on the Philosophy of Mathematics, Oxford Michaelmas Term 2020 | Joel David Hamkins

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