[FOM] Foundations Crucial

[Timothy Y. Chow]

Harvey Friedman wrote:
> Doesn't recent work indicate that using the category of all categories 
> in a category theoretic environment is just as seriously flawed as was 
> using naive set theory, without its fundamental accompanying 
> foundational work?

O.K., this is a concrete technical objection.  I don't know enough about 
the subject to answer it, but this at least steers the conversation back 
to mathematics rather than vague polemics, so that's good.

> Does the way you and Conway refer to "liberation" minimize the great
> fundamental importance of fully rigorous foundations?

No, of course not.  Frankly, I'm amazed that you, or anyone, could 
possibly interpret it that way.  I'm really struggling to understand where 
you're coming from, since your interpretation is so obviously 
diametrically opposed to the intended meaning.  "Liberation" is possibly 
*only because* we have fully rigorous foundations.  What could possibly 
make you think otherwise?

Tim