This unique book by Stewart Shapiro looks at a range of philosophical issues and positions concerning mathematics in four comprehensive sections. Part I describes questions and issues about mathematics that have motivated philosophers since the beginning of intellectual history. Part II is an historical survey, discussing the role of mathematics in the thought of such philosophers as Plato, Aristotle, Kant, and Mill. Part III covers the three major positions held throughout the twentieth century: the idea that mathematics is logic (logicism), the view that the essence of mathematics is the rule-governed manipulation of characters (formalism), and a revisionist philosophy that focuses on the mental activity of mathematics (intuitionism). Finally, Part IV brings the reader up-to-date with a look at contemporary developments within the discipline. This sweeping introductory guide to the philosophy of mathematics makes these fascinating concepts accessible to those with little background in either mathematics or philosophy.
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"Stewart Shapiro admirably provides an accessible introduction to contemporary thinking in mathematics, while avoiding caricature of the technicalities. His ease with the subject and lucid style makes this book a succinct introduction to a fascinating intellectual discipline." Times Literary Supplement
About the Author
Stewart Shapiro is Professor of Philosophy at Ohio State University at Newark and Professorial Fellow in the Department of Logic and Metaphysics at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
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First Sentence
THROUGHOUT history, philosophers have had a special attraction to mathematics. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THROUGHOUT history, philosophers have had a special attraction to mathematics. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a very nice introduction to the Philosophy of Mathematics, clear and well organized. It is more philosophical than mathematical, though. People with taste for 'hard'-formal work might be disapointed. On the other hand, for this very same reason, it is accessible to grad students in Philosophy and the curious reader in general.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A pretty comprehensive overview of the philosophy of maths. The main thrust of the book is philosophical, and I feel it did a very good job of introducing a lot of different views on the subject. Although I am a maths student at university, I think the maths would be accessable to most people.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Rebecca
Format:Paperback
In this text, Shapiro provides a nice overview of some of the key issues in the philosophy of mathematics. To get the most out of this book, the reader probably needs some knowledge of both philosophy and mathematics. In this respect, I wouldn't recommend this book to a complete beginner. The book is also too brief to be particularly useful on it's own to anyone wanting to explore in depth any of the issues covered. However, Shapiro does provide some good suggestions for further reading, and as an introductory text to give you a feel for the issues this isn't too bad.
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