Philosophy of Mathematics MSc (P02171)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : PPL-P-MSc PM

A one-semester course on the foundations of mathematics. Sketch of the views of Plato and Aristotle through to Kant and Mill. The various foundational positions: realism, logicism, constructivism, formalism and finitism. Logicism. Varieties of formalism. Finitism and Hilbert's programme. The significance of Godel's Incompleteness Theorems and related results concerning truth and computability. Constructivism and intuitionism. The emergence of axiomatic set theory as foundation for all mathematics. Set-theoretic realism. Structuralism. The applicability of mathematics and the indispensability of mathematics.

Shared with UG course U03180 Philosophy of Mathematics.

Venue: G6 Dugald Stewart Building

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Philosophy, (School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, Schedule I)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
12/01/2009	16:00	18:00			G6 Dugald Stewart Building

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	16:10	18:00	Central

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students who have completed this course should be able to:
* Demonstrate a good overall grasp of the main foundational positions concerning mathematics: Platonism, realism, logicism, intuitionism, etc
* Be able to assess the various arguments in favour of, and against, these positions
* Understand the relation between debates about the foundations of mathematics and other topics (such as the applicability of mathematics in science)