I wonder if you know the work of the French philosopher Badiou. He has
built an entire ontology on set theory, taking the empty set (or the void
as dramatically calls it) as his most fundamental concept. He takes over
the Von Neumann derivation of math in terms of set theory and then adopts a
kind of mathematical Platonist attitude, saying that all being is
mathematical and hence 'founded on the void'. I have grappled with his
theory for a while but concluded that although Badiou distances himself
from Derrida etc. he doesn't escape the 'French disease' in philosophy:
using impressive sounding but in the end arbitary terminology to cover up
the logical gaps in his theory. Obviously I don't want to say that all
French philosophers are like that, but the likes of Derrida, Deleuze etc.
have done so much damage in philosophy, I feel. Badiou pretends to be so
scientific and stringent with his set-theoretic and mathematical ontology,
but in the end he is just as arbitrary and pretentious as Derrida in my
view. How do you perceive Badiou?
Nevertheless, I could not resist buying Badiou's book on category theory
("Mathematics of the transcendental"), especially after your suggestions
about category theory. But then I read on the inside flap that this book
"is essential reading for his many followers". And the I felt the need to
vomit...
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