Philosophy of mathematics
The philosophy of mathematics is the branch of philosophy that studies the philosophical assumptions, foundations, and implications of mathematics.
Contents
Description
The aim of the philosophy of mathematics is to provide an account of the nature and methodology of mathematics and to understand the place of mathematics in people's lives.
The logical and structural nature of mathematics itself makes this study both broad and unique among its philosophical counterparts.
Mathematical philosophy
The terms philosophy of mathematics and mathematical philosophy are frequently used as synonyms. The latter, however, may be used to refer to several other areas of study.
One refers to a project of formalizing a philosophical subject matter, say, aesthetics, ethics, logic, metaphysics, or theology, in a purportedly more exact and rigorous form, as for example the labors of scholastic theologians, or the systematic aims of Leibniz and Spinoza.
Another refers to the working philosophy of an individual practitioner or a like-minded community of practicing mathematicians.
Allusion to Betrand Russell's work
Additionally, some understand the term "mathematical philosophy" to be an allusion to the approach to the foundations of mathematics taken by Bertrand Russell in his books The Principles of Mathematics and Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy.
See also
External links
- Philosophy of mathematics @ Wikipedia
