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Single Idea 9793

[from 'Metaphysics' by Aristotle, in 6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 7. Mathematical Structuralism / a. Structuralism ]

Full Idea

Mathematicians abstract perceptible features to study quantity and continuity ...and examine the mutual relations of some and the features of those relations, and commensurabilities of others, and of yet others the proportions.

Gist of Idea

Mathematics studies abstracted relations, commensurability and proportion

Source

Aristotle (Metaphysics [c.324 BCE], 1061a32)

Book Reference

Aristotle: 'Metaphysics', ed/tr. Lawson-Tancred,Hugh [Penguin 1998], p.325


A Reaction

This sounds very much like the intuition of structuralism to me - that the subject is entirely about relations between things, with very little interest in the things themselves. See Aristotle on abstraction (under 'Thought').