display all the ideas for this combination of texts
1 idea
5202 | Maths and logic are true universally because they are analytic or tautological [Ayer] |
Full Idea: The principles of logic and mathematics are true universally simply because we never allow them to be anything else; …in other words, they are analytic propositions, or tautologies. | |
From: A.J. Ayer (Language,Truth and Logic [1936], Ch.4) | |
A reaction: This is obviously a very appealing idea, but it doesn's explain WHY we have invented these particular tautologies (which seem surprisingly useful). The 'science of patterns' can be empirical and a priori and useful (but not tautological). |