[FOM] How much of math is logic?

[joeshipman@aol.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cristi at ieee.org
>
> I take it by "logic" you mean FOL?
>
> CC

   Not necessarily; I mean any formalism and axioms which can reasonably 
interpreted as "logical" rather than "mathematical" (meaning that they 
have no particular "subject matter" and are about general notions like 
concepts or classes rather than specifically mathematical structures). 
This is not a precise definition because the whole point is to get 
better insight into the demarcation between "logical" and 
"mathematical".

  One property "logical" statements ought to have is that their meaning 
and validity are determinate, while there can be disagreement about 
"mathematical" statements because the mathematical statements depend on 
more controversial axioms such as "there exists an infinte set' or the 
axiom of choice (it is possible to make a case that these axioms ought 
to be regarded as "logical" also, of course).

 -- JS

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