Single Idea 13510

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / c. Priority of numbers]

Full Idea

Russell toyed with the idea that there is nothing to being a natural number beyond occurring in a progression

Gist of Idea

Could a number just be something which occurs in a progression?

Source

report of Bertrand Russell (Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy [1919], p.8) by William D. Hart - The Evolution of Logic 5

Book Reference

Hart,W.D.: 'The Evolution of Logic' [CUP 2010], p.148


A Reaction

How could you define a progression, without a prior access to numbers? - Arrange all the objects in the universe in ascending order of mass. Use scales to make the selection. Hence a finite progression, with no numbers!