The metaphysics and mathematics of arbitrary objects

Building on the seminal work of Kit Fine in the 1980s, Leon Horsten here develops a new theory of arbitrary entities. He connects this theory to issues and debates in metaphysics, logic, and contemporary philosophy of mathematics, investigating the relation between specific and arbitrary objects and...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Horsten, Leon
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Cambridge Cambridge University Press 2019
Subjects:
Online Access:
Collection: Cambridge Books Online - Collection details see MPG.ReNa
LEADER 01850nmm a2200277 u 4500
001 EB001886793
003 EBX01000000000000001050160
005 00000000000000.0
007 cr|||||||||||||||||||||
008 191206 ||| eng
020 |a 9781139600293 
050 4 |a QA8.4 
100 1 |a Horsten, Leon 
245 0 0 |a The metaphysics and mathematics of arbitrary objects  |c Leon Horsten 
260 |a Cambridge  |b Cambridge University Press  |c 2019 
300 |a xvii, 231 pages  |b digital 
653 |a Mathematics / Philosophy 
653 |a Reasoning 
653 |a Logic 
653 |a Metaphysics 
041 0 7 |a eng  |2 ISO 639-2 
989 |b CBO  |a Cambridge Books Online 
028 5 0 |a 10.1017/9781139600293 
856 4 0 |u https://doi.org/10.1017/9781139600293  |x Verlag  |3 Volltext 
082 0 |a 510.1 
520 |a Building on the seminal work of Kit Fine in the 1980s, Leon Horsten here develops a new theory of arbitrary entities. He connects this theory to issues and debates in metaphysics, logic, and contemporary philosophy of mathematics, investigating the relation between specific and arbitrary objects and between specific and arbitrary systems of objects. His book shows how this innovative theory is highly applicable to problems in the philosophy of arithmetic, and explores in particular how arbitrary objects can engage with the nineteenth-century concept of variable mathematical quantities, how they are relevant for debates around mathematical structuralism, and how they can help our understanding of the concept of random variables in statistics. This fully worked through theory will open up new avenues within philosophy of mathematics, bringing in the work of other philosophers such as Saul Kripke, and providing new insights into the development of the foundations of mathematics from the eighteenth century to the present day