Non-uniqueness as a non-problem

Philosophia Mathematica 6 (1):63-84 (1998)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

A response is given here to Benacerraf's (1965) non-uniqueness (or multiple-reductions) objection to mathematical platonism. It is argued that non-uniqueness is simply not a problem for platonism; more specifically, it is argued that platonists can simply embrace non-uniqueness—i.e., that one can endorse the thesis that our mathematical theories truly describe collections of abstract mathematical objects while rejecting the thesis that such theories truly describe unique collections of such objects. I also argue that part of the motivation for this stance is that it dovetails with the correct response to Benacerraf's other objection to platonism, i.e., his (1973) epistemological objection.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 100,809

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

A platonist epistemology.Mark Balaguer - 1995 - Synthese 103 (3):303 - 325.
Reply to Armour-Garb.M. Balaguer - 2011 - Philosophia Mathematica 19 (3):345-348.
Problems with profligate platonism.Colin Cheyne - 1999 - Philosophia Mathematica 7 (2):164-177.
What is Field's Epistemological Objection to Platonism?Ylwa Sjölin Wirling - 2019 - In Robin Stenwall & Tobias Hansson Wahlberg (eds.), Maurinian Truths : Essays in Honour of Anna-Sofia Maurin on her 50th Birthday. Lund, Sverige: Department of Philosophy, Lund University. pp. 123-133.
Neutrality and Force in Field's Epistemological Objection to Platonism.Ylwa Sjölin Wirling - 2024 - Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 67 (9):3461-3480.
Against (maddian) naturalized platonism.Mark Balaguer - 1994 - Philosophia Mathematica 2 (2):97-108.
Platonism and Anti-Platonism in Mathematics.Mark Balaguer - 1998 - Bulletin of Symbolic Logic 8 (4):516-518.

Analytics

Added to PP
2009-01-28

Downloads
163 (#142,660)

6 months
10 (#399,629)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Mark Balaguer
California State University, Los Angeles

References found in this work

Mathematical truth.Paul Benacerraf - 1973 - Journal of Philosophy 70 (19):661-679.
What numbers could not be.Paul Benacerraf - 1965 - Philosophical Review 74 (1):47-73.
Models and reality.Hilary Putnam - 1980 - Journal of Symbolic Logic 45 (3):464-482.
Philosophy of Mathematics: Structure and Ontology.Stewart Shapiro - 2002 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 65 (2):467-475.
Informal Rigour and Completeness Proofs.Georg Kreisel - 1967 - In Imre Lakatos (ed.), Problems in the philosophy of mathematics. Amsterdam,: North-Holland Pub. Co.. pp. 138--157.

View all 13 references / Add more references