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  • © 2013

Plato's Problem

An Introduction to Mathematical Platonism

Palgrave Macmillan

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvi
  2. Introduction

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 1-15
  3. The Origins

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 16-44
  4. From Frege to Gödel (Through Hilbert)

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 45-98
  5. Benacerraf’s Arguments

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 99-111
  6. Non-conservative Responses to Benacerraf’s Dilemma

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 112-148
  7. Conservative Responses to Benacerraf’s Dilemma

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 149-195
  8. The Indispensability Argument: Structure and Basic Notions

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 196-216
  9. The Indispensability Argument: The Debate

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 217-249
  10. Concluding Remarks

    • Marco Panza, Andrea Sereni
    Pages 250-254
  11. Back Matter

    Pages 255-306

About this book

What is mathematics about? And how can we have access to the reality it is supposed to describe? The book tells the story of this problem, first raised by Plato, through the views of Aristotle, Proclus, Kant, Frege, Gödel, Benacerraf, up to the most recent debate on mathematical platonism.

Authors and Affiliations

  • CNRS, IHPST, Paris, France

    Marco Panza

  • San Raffaele University, Italy

    Andrea Sereni

About the authors

MARCO PANZA is Research Professor at the CNRS. He is the author and editor of several books and papers in the domains of history and philosophy of mathematics. Including Analysis and sinthesis in Mathematics (ed., with M. Otte), 1997; Isaac Newton, 2003; Newton et l'origine de l'analyse, 1664-1666, 2005; Nombres. Eléments de mathématiques pour philosophes, 2007.
ANDREA SERENI is Lecturer at San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy. He has been a visiting scholar at Arché Centre at the University of St. Andrews. He has taught courses at the Universities of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Parma, and Bologna. His teaching, research and publications cover philosophy of mathematics, epistemology, and philosophy of language.

Bibliographic Information

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 44.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 59.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access