Single Idea 9979

[catalogued under 18. Thought / E. Abstraction / 8. Abstractionism Critique]

Full Idea

Dedekind's conception is psychologistic only if that is the only way to understand the abstraction that is involved, which it is not.

Gist of Idea

Dedekind has a conception of abstraction which is not psychologistic

Source

report of Richard Dedekind (Nature and Meaning of Numbers [1888]) by William W. Tait - Frege versus Cantor and Dedekind IV

Book Reference

'Philosophy of Mathematics: anthology', ed/tr. Jacquette,Dale [Blackwell 2002], p.45


A Reaction

This is a very important suggestion, implying that we can retain some notion of abstractionism, while jettisoning the hated subjective character of private psychologism, which seems to undermine truth and logic.