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Single Idea 10216

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 1. Mathematical Platonism / a. For mathematical platonism]

Full Idea

It must surely be true that a man who has completely mastered arithmetic knows all numbers? Because there are pieces of knowledge covering all numbers in his soul.

Gist of Idea

We master arithmetic by knowing all the numbers in our soul

Source

Plato (Theaetetus [c.368 BCE], 198b)

Book Reference

Plato: 'Complete Works', ed/tr. Cooper,John M. [Hackett 1997], p.219


A Reaction

This clearly views numbers as objects. Expectation of knowing them all is a bit startling! They also appear to be innate in us, and hence they appear to be Forms. See Aristotle's comment in Idea 645.

Related Idea

Idea 645 If two is part of three then numbers aren't Forms, because they would all be intermingled [Aristotle]