Single Idea 9816

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / c. Fregean numbers]

Full Idea

Frege was operating with a successor relation, rather than a successor function.

Gist of Idea

For Frege, successor was a relation, not a function

Source

report of Gottlob Frege (Grundlagen der Arithmetik (Foundations) [1884]) by Michael Dummett - Frege philosophy of mathematics Ch.2

Book Reference

Dummett,Michael: 'Frege: philosophy of mathematics' [Duckworth 1991], p.13


A Reaction

That is, succession is a given fact, not a construction. 4 may be the successor of 3 in natural numbers, but not in rational or real numbers, so we can't take the relation for granted.