Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy

by Bertrand Russell

Overview

Not to be confused with the philosophy of mathematics, mathematical philosophy is the structured set of rules that govern all existence. Or, in a word: logic. While this branch of philosophy threatens to be an intimidating and abstract subject, it is one that is surprisingly simple and necessarily sensible, particularly at the pen of writer Bertrand Russell, who infuses this work, first published in 1919, with a palpable and genuine desire to assist the reader in understanding the principles he illustrates.

Anyone interested in logic and its development and application here will find a comprehensive and accessible account of mathematical philosophy, from the idea of what numbers actually are, through the principles of order, limits, and deduction, and on to infinity.


British philosopher and mathematician BERTRAND ARTHUR WILLIAM RUSSELL (1872-1970) won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950. Among his many works are Why I Am Not a Christian (1927), Power: A New Social Analysis (1938), and My Philosophical Development (1959).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781602062917
Publisher:	Cosimo Classics
Publication date:	03/30/2007
Pages:	220
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Bertrand Russell (1872-1970). A celebrated mathematician and logician, Russell was and remains one of the most genuinely widely read and popular philosophers of modern times.

Table of Contents

Preface; Editor's Note
1. The Series of natural numbers
2. Definition of number
3. Finitude and mathematical induction
4. The definition of order
5. Kinds of relations
6. Similarity of relations
7. Rational, real, and complex numbers
8. Infinite cardinal numbers
9. Infinite series and ordinals
10. Limits and continuity
11. Limits and continuity of functions
12. Selections and the multiplicative axiom
13. The axiom of infinity and logical types
14. Incompatibility and the theory of deduction
15. Propositional functions
16. Descriptions
17. Classes
18. Mathematics and logic
Index