Single Idea 18788

[catalogued under 6. Mathematics / C. Sources of Mathematics / 10. Constructivism / b. Intuitionism]

Full Idea

For the intuitionist, talk of mathematical objects is rather misleading. For them, there really isn't anything that we should call the natural numbers, but instead there is counting. What intuitionists study are processes, such as counting and collecting.

Gist of Idea

For intuitionists there are not numbers and sets, but processes of counting and collecting

Source

Edwin D. Mares (Negation [2014], 5.1)

Book Reference

'Bloomsbury Companion to Philosophical Logic', ed/tr. Horsten,L/Pettigrew,R [Bloomsbury 2014], p.196


A Reaction

That is the first time I have seen mathematical intuitionism described in a way that made it seem attractive. One might compare it to a metaphysics based on processes. Apparently intuitionists struggle with infinite sets and real numbers.