Single Idea 8715

[catalogued under 18. Thought / D. Concepts / 1. Concepts / a. Nature of concepts]

Full Idea

Cantor (in his exploration of infinities) pushed the bounds of conceivability further than anyone before him. To discover what is conceivable, we have to enquire into the concept.

Gist of Idea

Infinities expand the bounds of the conceivable; we explore concepts to explore conceivability

Source

report of George Cantor (works [1880]) by Michèle Friend - Introducing the Philosophy of Mathematics 6.5

Book Reference

Friend,Michèle: 'Introducing the Philosophy of Mathematics' [Acumen 2007], p.145


A Reaction

This remark comes during a discussion of Husserl's phenomenology. Intuitionists challenge Cantor's claim, and restrict what is conceivable to what is provable. Does possibility depend on conceivability?