Reading Assignments

(Readings from the Shapiro book, Thinking about Mathematics, are listed by author, chapter, and page numbers (inside parentheses). Readings from the Benacerraf and Putnam anthology, Philosophy of Mathematics: Selected Readings, are listed by author and title and labeled "BP". Readings by other philosophers are listed by author and title and labeled "online".)

• For Aug. 30: Read Shapiro, Chapter 1 (pp. 1-20).
• For Sep. 4: Read Shapiro, Chapters 2 and Sections 1-3 of Chapter 3 (pp. 20-63).
• For Sep. 6: Read selections from Plato, Republic and Meno (online). (Hint: Be prepared for a Reading Quiz.)
• For Sep. 11: Read Shapiro, Chapter 4 and these Kant Selections (online).
• For Sep. 13: Read the introduction (with Sections 11.1-11.12 as recommended optional reading) of these Mill Selections (online).
• For Sep. 18: Read Shapiro, Sections 1-2 of Chapter 5 (pp. 107-124), these Frege Selections, and Weiner, "Understanding Frege's Project" and "What Was Frege Trying To Prove?"
• For Sep. 25: Read Russell, Ch. I-II, XVIII (pp. 1-19, 197-209) of Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy (BP, pp. 160-182) and Cook, "New Waves on an Old Beach: Fregean Philosophy of Mathematics Today" (online).
• For Sep. 27: Read Shapiro, Chapter 5, Sections 3-5, and Chapter 6, Sections 1-2 (pp. 124-157). Also, check out this additional link on "Ferocious" Frege.
• For Oct. 2: Finish Shapiro, Chapter 6 and read von Neumann, "The Formalist Foundations of Mathematics" (BP, pp. 61-65) and Brouwer, "Intuitionism and Formalism" (BP, pp. 77-89).
• For Oct. 4: Read Shapiro, Sections 1-3 of Chapter 7 (pp. 172-189).
• For Oct. 9: Read Shapiro, Chapter 8 and Linnebo, "Platonism in the Philosophy of Mathematics," SEP (online). Check out Colyvan, "Indispensability Arguments in the Philosophy of Mathematics," SEP (online) as well. Also, take a look at the topic choices for and get started on writing the First Paper, which will be due on Thurs 10/18. Be sure to look at these Paper Requirements and Policies and this Numbered Writing Comments Sheet to be aware of various writing infelicities that you should avoid. In particular, check out this Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism.
• For Oct. 16: Read Benacerraf, "What Numbers Could Not Be" (BP, pp. 272-294). You might also read Benacerraf, "Mathematical Truth" (BP, pp. 403-420).
• For Oct. 18: First Papers due!
• For Oct. 23: Read Shapiro, Chapter 10. You might also check out Horsten, "Philosophy of Mathematics", Section 4, SEP (online).
• For Oct. 25: Read Shapiro, Chapter 9 and Balaguer, "Fictionalism in the Philosophy of Mathematics," SEP (online).
• For Oct. 30: Read Wagner, "Arithmetical Fiction" (online). Then read Yablo, "The Myth of the Seven" (online).
• For Nov. 6: Read Ayer, "The A Priori" (BP, pp. 315-328) and Hempel, "On the Nature of Mathematical Truth" (BP, pp. 377-393).
  
• For Nov. 13: Read Quine, "Two Dogmas of Empiricism", Sections 1-4 (online, pp. 20-37) and Poincare, "On the Nature of Mathematical Reasoning" (BP, pp. 394-402).
• For Nov. 15: Read Kitcher, "The Apriorist Program" (from The Nature of Mathematical Knowledge) (online).
• For Nov. 20: Read Lakatos, "A Renaissance of Empiricism in the Recent Philosophy of Mathematics" and "What Does a Mathematical Proof Prove?" (online). Then read Quine, "Review of Imre Lakatos's Proofs and Refutations" (online).
• For Nov. 27: Read Gödel, "What is Cantor's Continuum Problem?" (BP, pp. 470-485). Be sure to read pp. 480-481 first. Then read Maddy, "Believing the Axioms, I and "Believing the Axioms, II" (online).
• For Nov. 29: Read Brown, "Proofs and Pictures" (online) and Folina "Discussion: Pictures, Proofs, and 'Mathematical Practice': Reply to James Robert Brown" (online).
• For Dec. 4: Read Fallis, "The Epistemic Status of Probabilistic Proof" (online) and Easwaran, "Probabilistic Proofs and Transferability" (online). Also, check out the topic choices for the Second Paper. Again, look at these Paper Requirements and Policies and this Numbered Writing Comments Sheet to familiarize yourself with various writing infelicities that you should avoid. Be sure also to go over this Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism.
• For Dec. 6: Read Sherry, "On Mathematical Error" (online).
• For Dec. 14: Second Papers due! Email them to both professors by 5pm. Name the file with your last name. And for fun, check out this BBC Radio show on Bertrand Russell.

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Last updated December 7, 2012

This site is maintained by James A. Woodbridge.

This document was created on August 25, 2012.