Thanks Dewey,
I'm still wondering about godelian platonism.
Paul H. Dillon
----- Original Message -----
From: Dewey Dykstra, Jr. <dykstrad@email.boisestate.edu>
To: <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 04, 2001 6:37 PM
Subject: Re: reality of math objects
> >Just out of curiosity, if anyone knows about this and perhaps can correct
or
> >confirm my understanding :
> >
> >doesn't Godel's proof, insofar as it demonstrates (among other things)
that
> >the number system cannot be reduced to logic (at least the
Russell/Whitehead
> >attempt), lead necessarily to a recognition of numbers as existent (not
as
> >abstract sets or classes), and hence lend support to an affirmation of
the
> >existence of ideal objects outside the human head? This would seem to
be a
> >good field in which to explore Ilyenkov's notion of the ideal as well.
> >
> >btw, is the reading Vygotsky's "crisis" or Laszlo's?
> >
> >Paul H. Dillon
>
> Paul,
> From my point of view, I'd have to point out that this appears to be
> an example of either not distinguishing between the mental constructs
> we form to explain experience and whatever it is we imagine gives
> rise to that experience or a case of making without stating it the
> assumption of realism. The article I pointed to indicates that there
> are other options we should consider.
>
> Dewey
>
>
> --
> (As of 12/21/01 the mailserver email.boisestate.edu will cease to
> exist. My new address is: dewey@mac.boisestate.edu)
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> Dewey I. Dykstra, Jr. Phone: (208)426-3105
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> Department of Physics/MCF421/418 Fax: (208)426-4330
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>
> "As a result of modern research in physics, the ambition and hope,
> still cherished by most authorities of the last century, that physical
> science could offer a photographic picture and true image of reality
> had to be abandoned." --M. Jammer in Concepts of Force, 1957.
>
> "If what we regard as real depends on our theory, how can we make
> reality the basis of our philosophy? ...But we cannot distinguish
> what is real about the universe without a theory...it makes no sense
> to ask if it corresponds to reality, because we do not know what
> reality is independent of a theory."--S. Hawking in Black Holes
> and Baby Universes, 1993.
>
> +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
>
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