Postgraduate Course: Philosophy of Mathematics MSc (PHIL11045)
Course Outline
School |
School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College |
College of Humanities and Social Science |
Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Not available to visiting students |
Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
Home subject area |
Philosophy |
Other subject area |
None |
Course website |
None |
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Course description |
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: G.06, Dugald Stewart Building |
Entry Requirements
Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Logic 1 (PHIL08004)
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Co-requisites |
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Prohibited Combinations |
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Other requirements |
None
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Additional Costs |
None |
Course Delivery Information
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Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 2, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Central | Lecture | | 1-11 | 16:10 - 18:00 | | | | |
First Class |
First class information not currently available |
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) |
Assessment Information
One 2,500 word essay |
Special Arrangements
Not entered |
Contacts
Course organiser |
Dr Jeffrey Ketland
Tel: (0131 6)50 3662
Email: Jeffrey.Ketland@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Miss Lynsey Buchanan
Tel: (0131 6)51 5002
Email: Lynsey.Buchanan@ed.ac.uk |
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copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 6:33 am
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