Putnam and the Indispensability of Mathematics
In this paper, I examine Putnam’s nuanced views in the philosophy of mathematics, distinguishing three proposals: modalism (an interpretation of mathematics in terms of modal logic), quasi-empirical realism (that emphasizes the role and use of quasi-empirical methods in mathematics), and an indispe...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina
2013-08-01
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| Series: | Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology |
| Online Access: | https://periodicos.ufsc.br/index.php/principia/article/view/32342 |
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| Summary: | In this paper, I examine Putnam’s nuanced views in the philosophy of mathematics, distinguishing three proposals: modalism (an interpretation of mathematics in terms of modal logic), quasi-empirical realism (that emphasizes the role and use of quasi-empirical methods in mathematics), and an indispensability view (that highlights the indispensable role of quantification over mathematical objects and the support such quantification provides for a realist interpretation of mathematics). I argue that, as he shifted through these views, Putnam aimed to preserve a semantic realist account of mathematics that avoids platonism. In the end, however, each of the proposals faces significant difficulties. A form of skepticism then emerges
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| ISSN: | 1808-1711 |