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Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice Jody Azzouni (Tufts University, Massachusetts)

Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice By Jody Azzouni (Tufts University, Massachusetts)

Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice by Jody Azzouni (Tufts University, Massachusetts)


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Summary

Jody Azzouni argues that mathematical knowledge really is a special kind of knowledge with its own special means of gathering evidence. He analyses the linguistic pitfalls and misperceptions philosophers in this field are often prone to, and explores the misapplications of epistemic principles from the empirical sciences to the exact sciences.

Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice Summary

Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice: The Ontology and Epistemology of the Exact Sciences by Jody Azzouni (Tufts University, Massachusetts)

Most philosophers of mathematics try to show either that the sort of knowledge mathematicians have is similar to the sort of knowledge specialists in the empirical sciences have or that the kind of knowledge mathematicians have, although apparently about objects such as numbers, sets, and so on, isn't really about those sorts of things as well. Jody Azzouni argues that mathematical knowledge really is a special kind of knowledge with its own special means of gathering evidence. He analyses the linguistic pitfalls and misperceptions philosophers in this field are often prone to, and explores the misapplications of epistemic principles from the empirical sciences to the exact sciences. What emerges is a picture of mathematics both sensitive to mathematical practice, and to the ontological and epistemological issues that concern philosophers.

Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice Reviews

Azzouni's book is a well-conceived and worthwhile contribution. ...it is altogether closely argued, and stimulates serious reflection. Canadian Philosophical Reviews
Interesting, important and well worth reading. Mark Balaguer, Journal of Symbolic Logic
. . . this is a very interesting and stimulating book. . . I repeatedly return to it to study its ideas and arguments, and to test my own views against them --Michael D. Resnik, Philosophia Mathematica
Metaphysical Myths is written in an engaging style and contains a wealth of informative references . . . . the book is rich with arguments that will more than repay careful study. --Philosophical Books

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements; Part I. Mathematical Practice and its Puzzles: 1. Metaphysical inertness; 2. Metaphysical inertness and reference; 3. The virtues of (second-order) theft; 4. Intuitions about reference and axiom systems; 5. Comparing mathematical terms and empirical terms I; 6. Comparing mathematical terms and empirical terms II; 7. The epistemic role puzzle; 8. Benacerraf's puzzle; 9. Comparing puzzles; 10. Quine's approach I; 11. Quine's approach II; Part II. The Stuff of Mathematics: Posits and Algorithms: 12. Introduction; 13. An initial picture; 14. Application and truth; 15. Systems, application and truth; 16. Quine's objections to truth by convention; 17. Grades of ontological commitment; 18. Multiply interpreting systems; 19. Intuitions about reference revisited; Part III. The Geography of the A Priori: 20. Introduction; 21. Algorithms again; 22. Some observations on metamathematics; 23. Incorrigible co-empiricalness; 24. Why there are no incorrigible co-empirical truths; 25. Normative considerations, the success of applied mathematics, concluding thoughts; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

Additional information

NLS9780521062190
9780521062190
0521062195
Metaphysical Myths, Mathematical Practice: The Ontology and Epistemology of the Exact Sciences by Jody Azzouni (Tufts University, Massachusetts)
New
Paperback
Cambridge University Press
2008-05-15
264
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
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