Hume on the social construction of mathematical knowledge.

Mathematics for Hume is the exemplary field of demonstrative knowledge. Ideally, this knowledge is a priori as it arises only from the comparison of ideas without any further empirical input; it is certain because demonstration consist of steps that are intuitively evident and infallible; and it is...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Synthese Vol. 196; no. 9; pp. 3615 - 3632
Autor principal: Demeter, Tamás
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Springer Nature Sep2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
fields @attributes:
  recordID: 1
pdfLink:
plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=137684529&site=ehost-live
header:
  @attributes:
    shortDbName: hlh
    uiTerm: 137684529
    longDbName: Humanities International Complete
    uiTag: AN
  controlInfo:
    bkinfo:
    jinfo:
      jid:
        00397857
        4LI
      jtl: Synthese
      issn: 00397857
      maglogo: N
    pubinfo:
      dt: Sep2019
      vid: 196
      iid: 9
      pid: 237
      pub: Springer Nature
    artinfo:
      ui:
        137684529
        10.1007/s11229-017-1655-x
      ppf: 3615
      ppct: 17
      formats:
        fmt:
          – @attributes:
              type: T
          – @attributes:
              type: P
              size: 386KB
      tig:
        atl: Hume on the social construction of mathematical knowledge.
      aug:
        au: Demeter, Tamás
        affil:
          Institute of Philosophy, RCH, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
          Department of Sociology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
      su:
        Human behavior
        Sociability
        Modularity (Psychology)
        Metaphysics
        Certainty
      sug:
        subj:
          Human behavior
          Sociability
          Modularity (Psychology)
          Metaphysics
          Certainty
      keyword:
        Demonstrative reasoning
        Faculties
        Mathematical practice
        Metaphysics of knowledge
        Sceptical solution
        Scepticism
        Sympathy
      ab: Mathematics for Hume is the exemplary field of demonstrative knowledge. Ideally, this knowledge is a priori as it arises only from the comparison of ideas without any further empirical input; it is certain because demonstration consist of steps that are intuitively evident and infallible; and it is also necessary because the possibility of its falsity is inconceivable as it would imply a contradiction. But this is only the ideal, because demonstrative sciences are human enterprises and as such they are just as fallible as their human practitioners. According to the reading suggested here, Hume develops a radical sceptical challenge for mathematics, and thereby he undermines the knowledge claims associated with demonstrative reasoning. But Hume does not stop there: he also offers resources for a sceptical solution to this challenge, one that appeals crucially to social practices, and sketches the social genealogy of a community-wide mathematical certainty. While explaining this process, he relies on the conceptual resources of his faculty psychology that helps him to distinguish between the metaphysics and practices of mathematical knowledge. His account explains why we have reasons to be dubious about our reasoning capacities, and also how human nature and sociability offers some remedy from these epistemic adversities.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
    refInfo:
    copyright:
      @attributes:
        flag: Y
      custom: Synthese is a copyright of Springer, 2019. All Rights Reserved.
      item: Synthese
      holder: Springer Nature
      dt:
        @attributes:
          year: 2019
    holdings:
      @attributes:
        islocal: N