Combining Philosophers

Ideas for Hermarchus, JP Burgess / G Rosen and Collegium Conimbricense

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1 idea

6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / a. Numbers

9923	We should talk about possible existence, rather than actual existence, of numbers [Burgess/Rosen]
	Full Idea: The modal strategy for numbers is to replace assumptions about the actual existence of numbers by assumptions about the possible existence of numbers
	From: JP Burgess / G Rosen (A Subject with No Object [1997], II.B.3.a)
	A reaction: This seems to be quite a good way of dealing with very large numbers and infinities. It is not clear whether 5 is so regularly actualised that we must consider it as permanent, or whether it is just a prominent permanent possibility.