New Directions in the Philosophy of Mathematics - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0691034982 ISBN 13: 9780691034980

Publisher: Princeton University Press, 1998

Synopsis

The traditional debate among philosophers of mathematics is whether there is an external mathematical reality, something out there to be discovered, or whether mathematics is the product of the human mind. This provocative book, now available in a revised and expanded paperback edition, goes beyond foundationalist questions to offer what has been called a "postmodern" assessment of the philosophy of mathematics--one that addresses issues of theoretical importance in terms of mathematical experience. By bringing together essays of leading philosophers, mathematicians, logicians, and computer scientists, Thomas Tymoczko reveals an evolving effort to account for the nature of mathematics in relation to other human activities. These accounts include such topics as the history of mathematics as a field of study, predictions about how computers will influence the future organization of mathematics, and what processes a proof undergoes before it reaches publishable form.

This expanded edition now contains essays by Penelope Maddy, Michael D. Resnik, and William P. Thurston that address the nature of mathematical proofs. The editor has provided a new afterword and a supplemental bibliography of recent work.

About this title

About the Author:

Thomas Tymoczko was Professor of Philosophy at Smith College. He was the author of numerous papers in philosophy and coauthor, with Jim Henle, of Sweet Reason: A Field Guide to Modern Logic. He died in 1996.

About this edition

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0691034982
• ISBN 13: 9780691034980
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 456
• Editor: Tymoczko Thomas