FOM: Cinq lettres

[Kanovei]

Some (not all, of course) ideas in the 
ongoing discussion reflect, perhaps, some 
stable tendencies in approach to 
mathematical objects of high level of 
abstractness. 
"Cinq lettres sur la theorie des ensembles", 
an exchange between Baire, Borel, Lebesgue, and Hadamard, 
outline some of them -- from the point of view of interested 
analists rather than logicians. For instance 
their discussion of differences between 
"d\'efini" and "decrit" or "choisir" and "nommer" 
has got a curious reflection in recent posting 
on whether CH is "vague", "indefinite", 
"meaningless", or perhaps just a "gut feeling". 

Ref: 
Bull. soc. math. Fr. 1905, 33, 261 - 273 
(Reproduced in some monographs by Borel 
or Lebesgue. I do not know whether an 
English translation exists.)

Vladimir Kanovei