[Wittrs] Re: Nominalism / Neil
- From: "iro3isdx" <xznwrjnk-evca@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:21:01 -0000
--- In Wittrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jrstern" <jrstern@...> wrote:
>> So, no, there isn't any problem similar to dualism. Mathematics
>> has to do with idealized things. We can have perfect knowledge
>> about them precisely because they are idealized. Mathematics is
>> not concerned with the real.
> That's an extreme platonistic interpretation.
I can handle idealized things quite well as a fictionalist. I see no
need to invent a platonic realm.
> Any formalist interpretation, that mathematics deals with symbols,
> I can better express in physicalist, algorithmic terms.
I doubt that.
You can physically describe the behavior in terms of making physical
marks. But you cannot account for the use of those marks as symbols.
The big problem with formalism, is that you cannot use it to make sense
of why mathematicians do what they do. You have ruled out discussing
the content of the mathematician's thought, and in doing so you have
ruled out questions of motivation.
Regards,
Neil
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