Mathematics and Forms of Life

According to Wittgenstein, mathematics is embedded in, and partly constituting, a form of life. Hence, to imagine different, alternative forms of elementary mathematics, we should have to imagine different practices, different forms of life in which they could play a role. If we tried to imagine a r...

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Xehetasun bibliografikoak
Egile nagusia: Severin Schroeder
Formatua: Artikulua
Hizkuntza:English
Argitaratua: Nordic Wittgenstein Society 2015-10-01
Saila:Nordic Wittgenstein Review
Sarrera elektronikoa:http://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3357
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author Severin Schroeder
author_facet Severin Schroeder
author_sort Severin Schroeder
collection DOAJ
description According to Wittgenstein, mathematics is embedded in, and partly constituting, a form of life. Hence, to imagine different, alternative forms of elementary mathematics, we should have to imagine different practices, different forms of life in which they could play a role. If we tried to imagine a radically different arithmetic we should think either of a strange world (in which objects unaccountably vanish or appear) or of people acting and responding in very peculiar ways. If such was their practice, a calculus expressing the norms of representation they applied could not be called false. Rather, our criticism could only be to dismiss such a practice as foolish and to dismiss their norms as too different from ours to be called ‘mathematics’.
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spelling doaj.art-0a0a2716a9fc4a66ab708b51a0cb41292022-12-22T00:02:09ZengNordic Wittgenstein SocietyNordic Wittgenstein Review2194-68252242-248X2015-10-011111303357Mathematics and Forms of LifeSeverin Schroeder0University of ReadingAccording to Wittgenstein, mathematics is embedded in, and partly constituting, a form of life. Hence, to imagine different, alternative forms of elementary mathematics, we should have to imagine different practices, different forms of life in which they could play a role. If we tried to imagine a radically different arithmetic we should think either of a strange world (in which objects unaccountably vanish or appear) or of people acting and responding in very peculiar ways. If such was their practice, a calculus expressing the norms of representation they applied could not be called false. Rather, our criticism could only be to dismiss such a practice as foolish and to dismiss their norms as too different from ours to be called ‘mathematics’.http://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3357
spellingShingle Severin Schroeder
Mathematics and Forms of Life
Nordic Wittgenstein Review
title Mathematics and Forms of Life
title_full Mathematics and Forms of Life
title_fullStr Mathematics and Forms of Life
title_full_unstemmed Mathematics and Forms of Life
title_short Mathematics and Forms of Life
title_sort mathematics and forms of life
url http://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3357
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