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Full Idea
Mathematics is in a sense empirical, but only in the rather Pickwickian sense that is an empirical question as to which mathematical theory is useful.
Gist of Idea
Mathematics is only empirical as regards which theory is useful
Source
Hartry Field (Science without Numbers [1980], 1)
Book Ref
Field,Hartry: 'Science without Number' [Blackwell 1980], p.15
A Reaction
Field wants mathematics to be fictions, and not to be truths. But can he give an account of 'useful' that does not imply truth? Only in a rather dubiously pragmatist way. A novel is not useful.