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Single Idea 17881

[filed under theme 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 1. Mathematical Platonism / b. Against mathematical platonism ]

Full Idea

Most mathematicians want mathematics to deal, ultimately, with performable computing operations, and not to consist of formal propositions about objects called this or that.

Gist of Idea

Mathematician want performable operations, not propositions about objects

Source

Thoralf Skolem (Remarks on axiomatised set theory [1922], p.300)

Book Ref

'From Frege to Gödel 1879-1931', ed/tr. Heijenoort,Jean van [Harvard 1967], p.300

The 5 ideas from Thoralf Skolem

17878 If a 1st-order proposition is satisfied, it is satisfied in a denumerably infinite domain [Skolem]
17879 Axiomatising set theory makes it all relative [Skolem]
17880 Integers and induction are clear as foundations, but set-theory axioms certainly aren't [Skolem]
17881 Mathematician want performable operations, not propositions about objects [Skolem]
13536 Skolem did not believe in the existence of uncountable sets [Skolem]