The Metaphysics and Mathematics of Arbitrary Objects (Paperback)

Leon Horsten

ISBN 10: 1108706592 / ISBN 13: 9781108706599

Verlag: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2021

Beschreibung

Paperback. Building on the seminal work of Kit Fine in the 1980s, Leon Horsten here develops a new theory of arbitrary entities. He connects this theory to issues and debates in metaphysics, logic, and contemporary philosophy of mathematics, investigating the relation between specific and arbitrary objects and between specific and arbitrary systems of objects. His book shows how this innovative theory is highly applicable to problems in the philosophy of arithmetic, and explores in particular how arbitrary objects can engage with the nineteenth-century concept of variable mathematical quantities, how they are relevant for debates around mathematical structuralism, and how they can help our understanding of the concept of random variables in statistics. This fully worked through theory will open up new avenues within philosophy of mathematics, bringing in the work of other philosophers such as Saul Kripke, and providing new insights into the development of the foundations of mathematics from the eighteenth century to the present day. This book develops a new theory of arbitrary entities and connects it to issues and debates in metaphysics and contemporary philosophy of mathematics. It investigates the relation between particular and arbitrary objects, and between particular and arbitrary systems of objects. These concepts are then applied to problems in philosophy of mathematics. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 9781108706599

Bibliografische Details

Titel: The Metaphysics and Mathematics of Arbitrary...

Verlag: Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

Erscheinungsdatum: 2021

Einband: Paperback

Zustand: new