An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics

Mark Colyvan (University of Sydney)

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English

Cambridge University Press
14 June 2012

Philosophy; Philosophy: logic; Philosophy of mathematics

Series: Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy

This introduction to the philosophy of mathematics focuses on contemporary debates in an important and central area of philosophy. The reader is taken on a fascinating and entertaining journey through some intriguing mathematical and philosophical territory, including such topics as the realism/anti-realism debate in mathematics, mathematical explanation, the limits of mathematics, the significance of mathematical notation, inconsistent mathematics and the applications of mathematics. Each chapter has a number of discussion questions and recommended further reading from both the contemporary literature and older sources. Very little mathematical background is assumed and all of the mathematics encountered is clearly introduced and explained using a wide variety of examples. The book is suitable for an undergraduate course in philosophy of mathematics and, more widely, for anyone interested in philosophy and mathematics.

By: Mark Colyvan (University of Sydney)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 247mm, Width: 174mm, Spine: 9mm
Weight: 410g
ISBN: 9780521533416
ISBN 10: 0521533414
Series: Cambridge Introductions to Philosophy
Pages: 198
Publication Date: 14 June 2012
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Mathematics and its philosophy; 2. The limits of mathematics; 3. Plato's heaven; 4. Fiction, metaphor, and partial truths; 5. Mathematical explanation; 6. The applicability of mathematics; 7. Who's afraid of inconsistent mathematics?; 8. A rose by any other name; 9. Epilogue: desert island theorems.

Mark Colyvan is Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Sydney Centre for the Foundations of Science at the University of Sydney. He is the co-author (with Lev Ginzburg) of Ecological Orbits: How Planets Move and Populations Grow (2004) and author of The Indispensability of Mathematics (2001).

Reviews for An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics

...Colyvan's introduction eschews a historically based, comprehensive survey. His final chapter contains a brief description of 20 selected mathematical theorems of philosophical interest. This skillfully written work, including liberal use of analogy and extensive exercises and recommended readings, is a stimulating introduction to some of the most discussed topics in contemporary philosophy of mathematics. Accessible to undergraduates with a background in mathematical logic... Highly recommended... --L.C. Archie, Lander University, CHOICE