Ideas from 'Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy' by Bertrand Russell [1919], by Theme Structure
[found in 'Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy' by Russell,Bertrand [George Allen and Unwin 1975,0-04-510020-9]].
green numbers give full details |
back to texts
|
expand these ideas
1. Philosophy / F. Analytic Philosophy / 5. Linguistic Analysis
14456
|
'Socrates is human' expresses predication, and 'Socrates is a man' expresses identity
|
2. Reason / D. Definition / 3. Types of Definition
14426
|
A definition by 'extension' enumerates items, and one by 'intension' gives a defining property
|
2. Reason / F. Fallacies / 9. Category Mistake / a. Category mistakes
8468
|
The sentence 'procrastination drinks quadruplicity' is meaningless, rather than false [Orenstein]
|
3. Truth / F. Semantic Truth / 1. Tarski's Truth / b. Satisfaction and truth
14454
|
An argument 'satisfies' a function φx if φa is true
|
4. Formal Logic / A. Syllogistic Logic / 2. Syllogistic Logic
14453
|
The Darapti syllogism is fallacious: All M is S, all M is P, so some S is P' - but if there is no M?
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 3. Types of Set / d. Infinite Sets
14427
|
We can enumerate finite classes, but an intensional definition is needed for infinite classes
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / b. Axiom of Extensionality I
14428
|
Members define a unique class, whereas defining characteristics are numerous
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / f. Axiom of Infinity V
14440
|
We may assume that there are infinite collections, as there is no logical reason against them
|
14447
|
Infinity says 'for any inductive cardinal, there is a class having that many terms'
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / j. Axiom of Choice IX
14443
|
The British parliament has one representative selected from each constituency
|
14444
|
Choice is equivalent to the proposition that every class is well-ordered
|
14445
|
Choice shows that if any two cardinals are not equal, one must be the greater
|
14446
|
We can pick all the right or left boots, but socks need Choice to insure the representative class
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 4. Axioms for Sets / p. Axiom of Reducibility
14459
|
Reducibility: a family of functions is equivalent to a single type of function
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 5. Conceptions of Set / c. Logical sets
14461
|
Propositions about classes can be reduced to propositions about their defining functions
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 7. Natural Sets
8469
|
Russell's proposal was that only meaningful predicates have sets as their extensions [Orenstein]
|
4. Formal Logic / F. Set Theory ST / 8. Critique of Set Theory
8745
|
Classes are logical fictions, and are not part of the ultimate furniture of the world
|
5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 4. Pure Logic
14452
|
All the propositions of logic are completely general
|
5. Theory of Logic / A. Overview of Logic / 8. Logic of Mathematics
14462
|
In modern times, logic has become mathematical, and mathematics has become logical
|
5. Theory of Logic / C. Ontology of Logic / 1. Ontology of Logic
10057
|
Logic can only assert hypothetical existence
|
12444
|
Logic is concerned with the real world just as truly as zoology
|
14464
|
Logic can be known a priori, without study of the actual world
|
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / b. Names as descriptive
14458
|
Asking 'Did Homer exist?' is employing an abbreviated description
|
10450
|
Russell admitted that even names could also be used as descriptions [Bach]
|
14457
|
Names are really descriptions, except for a few words like 'this' and 'that'
|
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 1. Naming / f. Names eliminated
7311
|
The only genuine proper names are 'this' and 'that'
|
5. Theory of Logic / F. Referring in Logic / 2. Descriptions / a. Descriptions
14455
|
'I met a unicorn' is meaningful, and so is 'unicorn', but 'a unicorn' is not
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 2. Geometry
14442
|
If straight lines were like ratios they might intersect at a 'gap', and have no point in common
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / b. Types of number
14438
|
New numbers solve problems: negatives for subtraction, fractions for division, complex for equations
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / c. Priority of numbers
13510
|
Could a number just be something which occurs in a progression? [Hart,WD]
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / i. Reals from cuts
14436
|
A series can be 'Cut' in two, where the lower class has no maximum, the upper no minimum
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / j. Complex numbers
14439
|
A complex number is simply an ordered couple of real numbers
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 3. Nature of Numbers / m. One
14421
|
Discovering that 1 is a number was difficult
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / c. Counting procedure
14424
|
Numbers are needed for counting, so they need a meaning, and not just formal properties
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 4. Using Numbers / f. Arithmetic
14441
|
The formal laws of arithmetic are the Commutative, the Associative and the Distributive
|
6. Mathematics / A. Nature of Mathematics / 5. The Infinite / a. The Infinite
14420
|
Infinity and continuity used to be philosophy, but are now mathematics
|
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 4. Axioms for Number / a. Axioms for numbers
14431
|
The definition of order needs a transitive relation, to leap over infinite intermediate terms
|
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 4. Axioms for Number / d. Peano arithmetic
14423
|
'0', 'number' and 'successor' cannot be defined by Peano's axioms
|
14422
|
Any founded, non-repeating series all reachable in steps will satisfy Peano's axioms
|
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 5. Definitions of Number / d. Hume's Principle
14425
|
A number is something which characterises collections of the same size
|
6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 7. Mathematical Structuralism / a. Structuralism
14434
|
What matters is the logical interrelation of mathematical terms, not their intrinsic nature
|
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 5. Numbers as Adjectival
14465
|
Maybe numbers are adjectives, since 'ten men' grammatically resembles 'white men'
|
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 6. Logicism / a. Early logicism
13414
|
For Russell, numbers are sets of equivalent sets [Benacerraf]
|
6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / e. Psychologism
14449
|
There is always something psychological about inference
|
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 1. Nature of Existence
14463
|
Existence can only be asserted of something described, not of something named
|
7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 7. Fictionalism
14429
|
Classes are logical fictions, made from defining characteristics
|
8. Modes of Existence / A. Relations / 4. Formal Relations / a. Types of relation
14430
|
If a relation is symmetrical and transitive, it has to be reflexive
|
14432
|
'Asymmetry' is incompatible with its converse; a is husband of b, so b can't be husband of a
|
9. Objects / D. Essence of Objects / 3. Individual Essences
14435
|
The essence of individuality is beyond description, and hence irrelevant to science
|
10. Modality / B. Possibility / 8. Conditionals / c. Truth-function conditionals
12197
|
Inferring q from p only needs p to be true, and 'not-p or q' to be true
|
14450
|
All forms of implication are expressible as truth-functions
|
10. Modality / E. Possible worlds / 1. Possible Worlds / a. Possible worlds
14460
|
If something is true in all possible worlds then it is logically necessary
|
14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory
14433
|
Mathematically expressed propositions are true of the world, but how to interpret them?
|
19. Language / D. Propositions / 1. Propositions
14451
|
Propositions are mainly verbal expressions of true or false, and perhaps also symbolic thoughts
|