Birkbeck Philosophy Society - Summer Term Talk Series: Neil Barton
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck 30 Russell Square
No booking required
Tuesday 23rd June 2015 - Neil Barton
Modality, Mathematics, and Time: A common flaw in modal arguments
Modality in the context of mathematical discourse has received increased attention recently. In this paper I analyse a kind of modal argument that can be brought against certain kinds of views concerning mathematics; that mathematical reality is constrained in certain ways. One objection is through *modal considerations*, we want mathematics to tell us about any possible objects whatsoever. I note that there is a close analogy between these arguments and Godel's argument against the reality of Time. Both, I contend, fall flat against their targets for similar reasons; an imprecision in the modality used in the arguments results in principles that appear true, but are unlikely to be jointly accepted with the *same* modality by the parties in question.