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Title: Philosophy of Mathematics: Selected Readings
ISBN: 052129648X
Author:
Publicate Date: 1984-01-27
Publish: 1984-01-27
List Price: $58.00
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: Paperback
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $45.50
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Indespensable compilation of the great papers.
I checked the first edition of this book out from the library when composing my senior thesis, and enjoyed it so much that I continued to read it long after I was finished, finally buying a copy of the second edition for myself. The first edition was an outstanding compilation of the most influential papers on the subject, hand-picked by two of the giants of modern philosophy. The second edition is, by and large, an improvement on the first, with more relevant selections added and less relevant selections removed (I would have liked to see "Logic Without Ontology" retained in the new edition, but it can be obtained elsewhere). A great benefit of this volume is that it is the only volume, as far as I know, still in print which contains the important essays on intuitionism by Brouwer and Heyting (the series edited by the two on the foundations of mathematics is, sadly, out of print). The inclusion of these essays is not only helpful for historical interest, but also keeps with the book's spirit of presenting the full spectrum of mathematical philosophy.
One of the difficulties with presenting the philosophy of mathematics in a popular or summarized form is that, as with most analytic philosophy, it isn't possible to obtain any kind of understanding of the subject by partitioning it into schools of thought. Each author is unique. Because of this, it is much better to try to use a volume such as this one from the outset, rather than starting with an egregiously oversimplified account such as Korner's "The Philosophy of Mathematics: An Introductory Essay" (the book typically used to introduce the subject). So, not only would this make a superb text on the subject for a seminar, but it is also my first resort when I need a reference.
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2: Good compilation if you have the background
Don't try reading this book if you have little background with analytic philosophy, logic, and math. Although you're unlikely to be interested in it if you don't have that background. Some great works about the nature of mathematics are included here but make sure you have the background or it won't make sense.
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