FOM: misuse of G"odel's theorem

William Tait wtait at ix.netcom.com
Mon Feb 15 17:39:14 EST 1999


Martin,

>G"odel's theorem (there are mathematical questions that we know our best
>present methods can't answer).
would not be a shocking mis-use of Goedel's theorem; but of course it does
not draw a correct consequence of it, either. For Godel's theorem does not
lead us to questions which our present methods can't answer; it only leads
us, given some formalization S of our present methods, to questions which S
can't answer (but we can).

Bill



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