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Knowledge, Cause, and Abstract Objects

Causal Objections to Platonism

  • Book
  • © 2001

Overview

Authors:
  1. Colin Cheyne

    1. University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

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Part of the book series: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science (WONS, volume 67)

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Table of contents (13 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xvii
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  2. Platonism and Causality

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 1-10

  3. Beliefs and Facts

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 11-22

  4. Beliefs and Causes

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 23-35

  5. The Case for a Causal Connection

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 36-53

  6. Is a Causal Connection Necessary for Knowledge?

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 54-79

  7. Other Theories of Knowledge

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 80-93

  8. Existence Claims and Causality

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 94-122

  9. The Burden of Proof

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 123-130

  10. Platonic Knowledge by Intuition

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 131-144

  11. Apriorism

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 145-155

  12. Indispensability and Platonic Knowledge

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 156-171

  13. Problems with Prolifigate Platonism

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 172-193

  14. Conclusion

    • Colin Cheyne
    Pages 194-195

  15. Back Matter

    Pages 196-240
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Keywords

About this book

According to platonists, entities such as numbers, sets, propositions and properties are abstract objects. But abstract objects lack causal powers and a location in space and time, so how could we ever come to know of the existence of such impotent and remote objects? In Knowledge, Cause, and Abstract Objects, Colin Cheyne presents the first systematic and detailed account of this epistemological objection to the platonist doctrine that abstract objects exist and can be known. Since mathematics has such a central role in the acquisition of scientific knowledge, he concentrates on mathematical platonism. He also concentrates on our knowledge of what exists, and argues for a causal constraint on such existential knowledge. Finally, he exposes the weaknesses of recent attempts by platonists to account for our supposed platonic knowledge.
This book will be of particular interest to researchers and advanced students of epistemology and of the philosophy of mathematics and science. It will also be of interest to all philosophers with a general interest in metaphysics and ontology.

Authors and Affiliations

  • University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

    Colin Cheyne

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Knowledge, Cause, and Abstract Objects

  • Book Subtitle: Causal Objections to Platonism

  • Authors: Colin Cheyne

  • Series Title: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9747-0

  • Publisher: Springer Dordrecht

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

  • Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2001

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4020-0051-5Published: 31 October 2001

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-90-481-5836-2Published: 28 October 2010

  • eBook ISBN: 978-94-015-9747-0Published: 14 March 2013

  • Series ISSN: 1566-659X

  • Series E-ISSN: 2215-1974

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XVIII, 240

  • Topics: Philosophy of Law, Epistemology, Ontology, Philosophy of Science, Metaphysics

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