[FOM] Fictionalism About Mathematics

[W.Taylor at math.canterbury.ac.nz]

Quoting MartDowd at aol.com:

> More seriously, any freshman philosopher encounters the fact that there are
>  fundamental differences between physical reality and mathematical reality.

Quite so.  And one of these is noted by Hilbert (or maybe Hardy,  
anyone help?) -

"The chief difference between scientists and mathematicians is that
  mathematicians have a much more direct connection to reality."

> This does not entitle philosophers to characterize mathematical reality
> as  fictional.

Quite so; but philosophers tend to have a powerful sense of entitlement.

- wfct


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