Single Idea 8993

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / a. Early logicism]

Full Idea

To claim that mathematical truths are conventional in the sense of following logically from definitions is the claim that mathematics is a part of logic.

Gist of Idea

If mathematics follows from definitions, then it is conventional, and part of logic

Source

Willard Quine (Truth by Convention [1935], p.79)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ways of Paradox and other essays' [Harvard 1976], p.79


A Reaction

Quine is about to attack logic as convention, so he is endorsing the logicist programme (despite his awareness of Gödel), but resisting the full Wittgenstein conventionalist picture.