back to ideas for this text


Single Idea 18210

[from 'Science without Numbers' by Hartry Field, in 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 9. Fictional Mathematics ]

Full Idea

Why regard the axioms of standard mathematics as truths, rather than as fictions that for a variety of reasons mathematicians have become interested in?

Gist of Idea

Why regard standard mathematics as truths, rather than as interesting fictions?

Source

Hartry Field (Science without Numbers [1980], p.viii)

Book Reference

Field,Hartry: 'Science without Number' [Blackwell 1980], p.-7