Bueno, Otávio (2018) Putnam’s indispensability argument revisited, reassessed, revived. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 33 (2). pp. 201-218. ISSN 2171-679X
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Abstract
Crucial to Hilary Putnam’s realism in the philosophy of mathematics is to maintain the objectivity of mathematics without the commitment to the existence of mathematical objects. Putnam’s indispensability argument was devised as part of this conception. In this paper, I reconstruct and reassess Putnam’s argument for the indispensability of mathematics, and distinguish it from the more familiar, Quinean version of the argument. Although I argue that Putnam’s approach ultimately fails, I develop an alternative way of implementing his form of realism about mathematics that, by using different resources than those Putnam invokes, avoids the difficulties faced by his view.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | ISSN: 0495-4548 (print) | ||||||
| Keywords: | Indispensability, Ontological Commitment, Objectivity, Platonism, Modalism, Putnam | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Applicability Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Explanation Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Ontology Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Practice Specific Sciences > Mathematics General Issues > Philosophers of Science |
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| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email theoria@ehu.es | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 20 Jun 2018 17:59 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 20 Jun 2018 17:59 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 14792 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science | ||||||
| Publisher: | Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco | ||||||
| Official URL: | http://www.ehu.eus/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/v... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1387/theoria.18473 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Applicability Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Explanation Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Ontology Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Practice Specific Sciences > Mathematics General Issues > Philosophers of Science |
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| Date: | May 2018 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 201-218 | ||||||
| Volume: | 33 | ||||||
| Number: | 2 | ||||||
| ISSN: | 2171-679X | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/14792 |
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