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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| Format: | Article |
| Idioma: | English |
| Publicat: |
Nordic Wittgenstein Society
2015-10-01
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| Col·lecció: | Nordic Wittgenstein Review |
| Accés en línia: | http://www.nordicwittgensteinreview.com/article/view/3357 |
| _version_ | 1828860797145579520 |
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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’. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:47:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0a0a2716a9fc4a66ab708b51a0cb4129 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2194-6825 2242-248X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:47:40Z |
| publishDate | 2015-10-01 |
| publisher | Nordic Wittgenstein Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Wittgenstein Review |
| 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 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT severinschroeder mathematicsandformsoflife |