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Ideas for 'Saundaranandakavya', 'The Tarskian Turn' and 'Completeness of Axioms of Logic'

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2 ideas

6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 6. Mathematics as Set Theory / a. Mathematics is set theory
ZFC showed that the concept of set is mathematical, not logical, because of its existence claims [Horsten]
     Full Idea: One of the strengths of ZFC is that it shows that the concept of set is a mathematical concept. Many originally took it to be a logical concept. But ZFC makes mind-boggling existence claims, which should not follow if it was a logical concept.
     From: Leon Horsten (The Tarskian Turn [2011], 05.2.3)
     A reaction: This suggests that set theory is not just a way of expressing mathematics (see Benacerraf 1965), but that some aspect of mathematics has been revealed by it - maybe even its essential nature.
Set theory is substantial over first-order arithmetic, because it enables new proofs [Horsten]
     Full Idea: The nonconservativeness of set theory over first-order arithmetic has done much to establish set theory as a substantial theory indeed.
     From: Leon Horsten (The Tarskian Turn [2011], 07.5)
     A reaction: Horsten goes on to point out the price paid, which is the whole new ontology which has to be added to the arithmetic. Who cares? It's all fictions anyway!