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A Platonist epistemology
pp. 303-325
Abstract
A response is given here to Benacerraf's 1973 argument that mathematical platonism is incompatible with a naturalistic epistemology. Unlike almost all previous platonist responses to Benacerraf, the response given here is positive rather than negative; that is, rather than trying to find a problem with Benacerraf's argument, I accept his challenge and meet it head on by constructing an epistemology of abstract (i.e., aspatial and atemporal) mathematical objects. Thus, I show that spatio-temporal creatures like ourselves can attain knowledge about mathematical objects by simply explaininghow they can do this. My argument is based upon the adoption of a particular version of platonism — full-blooded platonism — which asserts that any mathematical object which possiblycould exist actuallydoes exist.
Publication details
Published in:
(1995) Synthese 103 (3).
Pages: 303-325
DOI: 10.1007/BF01089731
Full citation:
Balaguer Mark (1995) „A Platonist epistemology“. Synthese 103 (3), 303–325.