2009/9/16 Flammarion <peterdjo...@yahoo.com> > > > > On 16 Sep, 12:54, David Nyman <david.ny...@gmail.com> wrote: > > 2009/9/16 Flammarion <peterdjo...@yahoo.com>: > > > > >> I find that I can't real say what the difference is supposed to be > > >> between numbers existing mathematically and numbers existing > > >> Platonically, other than that different labels are being used. What > > >> precisely is the latter supposed to entail that the former does not, > > >> and what difference is this supposed to make? Can you help, Peter? > > > > > Existing mathematically doesn't have any ontoloigcal meaning. > > > Both formalists and Platonists can agree that 7 exists, > > > since they agree Ex:x=7 is true, but only the latter think > > > 7 has Platonic existence. > > > > Yes, but I still don't see what difference the word 'ontological' > > makes in this context. Surely whatever world-conjuring power numbers > > may possess can't depend on which label is attached to them? > > The knowabilitry of a claim about what powers numbers > have can only depend on what labels are correctly attached. > Petrol is not flammable just becaue I attached the label > "flammable" to it. Petrol *Is* flammable, and that > makes the label-attachment correct. > > > If a > > mathematical scheme fulfils a deep enough explanatory role (a moot > > point I admit) isn't that 'ontological' enough? > > If you are claiming that the *existence* of numbers > would explain somehting empierica;, that is an abductive > argument for Platonism. Other than that sayign "Numbers > explain" is too vague. Numbers are often used to > explain things about other numbers. So what, > says the formalist, none of them exist and such > explanations are nothing but moves in a game. >
Well if it's a game how do you explain it fits observation ? How do you explain the predictability of physical theories (which are *only* numbers based) ? Regards, Quentin > > > -- All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Everything List" group. To post to this group, send email to everything-list@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to everything-list+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/everything-list?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
