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Full Idea
Ancient mathematical concepts were essentially sensory; they were not mathematical in our sense - that is, wholly constituted by their inferential potential.
Gist of Idea
Greek mathematics is wholly sensory, where ours is wholly inferential
Source
Danielle Macbeth (Pragmatism and Objective Truth [2007], p.187)
Book Ref
'New Pragmatists', ed/tr. Misak,Cheryl [OUP 2009], p.187
A Reaction
The latter view is Frege's, though I suppose it had been emerging for a couple of centuries before him. I like the Greek approach, and would love to see that reunited with the supposedly quite different modern view. (Keith Hossack is attempting it).
| 19086 | Does the pragmatic theory of meaning support objective truth, or make it impossible? [Macbeth] |
| 19088 | For pragmatists a concept means its consequences [Macbeth] |
| 19091 | Seeing reality mathematically makes it an object of thought, not of experience [Macbeth] |
| 19093 | Greek mathematics is wholly sensory, where ours is wholly inferential [Macbeth] |