Time Schedule:
Arthur I Fine
PHIL 473
Seattle Campus
Study of the traditional accounts of the nature of mathematical entities and mathematical truth given by logicism, intuitionism, and formalism, and the impact of Godel's incompleteness theorems on these accounts.
Class description
Beginning with the three foundational schools (logicism, formalism and intuitionism) we'll proceed to issues in the epistemology of mathematics, contrasting platonist, empiricist and structural conceptions. Finally some special topics, including Wittgenstein’s remarks on mathematics.
Student learning goals
General method of instruction
Recommended preparation
Class assignments and grading
