Mathematics and the Divine: A Historical Study

by Teun Koetsier (Editor), Luc Bergmans (Editor)

Overview

Mathematics and the Divine seem to correspond to diametrically opposed tendencies of the human mind. Does the mathematician not seek what is precisely defined, and do the objects intended by the mystic and the theologian not lie beyond definition? Is mathematics not Man's search for a measure, and isn’t the Divine that which is immeasurable ?
The present book shows that the domains of mathematics and the Divine, which may seem so radically separated, have throughout history and across cultures, proved to be intimately related. Religious activities such as the building of temples, the telling of ritual stories or the drawing of enigmatic figures all display distinct mathematical features. Major philosophical systems dealing with the Absolute and theological speculations focussing on our knowledge of the Ultimate have been based on or inspired by mathematics. A series of chapters by an international team of experts highlighting key figures, schools and trains of thought is presented here. Chinese number mysticism, the views of Pythagoras and Plato and their followers, Nicholas of Cusa's theological geometry, Spinozism and intuitionism as a philosophy of mathematics are treated side by side among many other themes in an attempt at creating a global view on the relation of mathematics and Man’s quest for the Absolute in the course of history.

· Mathematics and man's quest for the Absolute
· A selective history highlighting key figures, schools and trains of thought
· An international team of historians presenting specific new findings as well as general overviews
· Confronting and uniting otherwise compartmentalized information

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780080457352
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	12/09/2004
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	716
File size:	17 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

Table of Contents

Introduction
1. Ho Peng-Yoke, Chinese Number Mysticism
2. Kim Plofker, Derivation and Revelation: the Legitimacy of Mathematical Models in Indian Cosmology
3. Reviel Netz, The Pythagoreans
4. Ian Mueller, Mathematics and the Divine in Plato
5. Jean-François Mattéi, Nicomachus of Gerasa and the Divine Arithmetical Ladder
6. Dominic J. O'Meara, Geometry and the Divine in Proclus
7. Marie-Pierre Terrien, Religious Architecture and Mathematics during Late Antiquity
8. David A. King, The Sacred Geography of Islam
9. Faith Wallis, 'Number Mystique' in early medieval computus texts
10. Maurice-Ruben Hayoun, Is the Divine Universe Divisible
11. Charles Lohr, Mathematics and the Divine: Ramon Lull
12. Hugue Garcia, Christian Gnosis
13. Edith Dudley Sylla, Swester Katrei and Gregory of Rimini: Angels, God and Mathematics in the Fourteenth Century
14. Jean-Michel Counet, Mathematics and the Divine in Nicholas of Cusa
15. Teun Koetsier and Karin Reich, Michael Stifel and his Numerology
16. Ivo Schneider, Between Rosicrucians and Kabbala - the Mathematics of the Biblical Numbers of Johannes Faulhaber
17. Eberhard Knobloch, Mathematics and the Divine: Athanasius Kircher
18. Volker R. Remmert, Galileo, God and Mathematics
19. André Charrak, The Mathematical Model of Creation According to Kepler
20. Jean-Marie Nicolle, The Mathematical Analogy in the Proof of God's Existence by Descartes
21. Donald Adamson, Pascal's Views on Mathematics and the Divine
22. Ger Harmsen, Spinoza and the Geometrical Method of Proof
23. Philip Beeley and Siegmund Probst, John Wallis (1616-1703): Mathematician and Divine
24. Kees de Pater, Newton and the Ocean of Truth
25. Herbert Breger, Leibniz: Mathematics and the Divine
26. Wolfgang Breidert, Berkeley's Defence of the Infinite God in Contrast to the Infinite in Mathematics
27. Ruediger Thiele, Leonhard Euler and the Divine
28. Ruediger Thiele, Georg Cantor and the Divine
29. Luc Bergmans, Gerrit Mannoury and his Fellow Significians on Mathematics and Mysticism
30. Teun Koetsier, Arthur Schopenhauer and L. E. J. Brouwer: A Comparison
31. Sergei S. Demidov and Charles E. Ford, On the Road to a Unified View: Priest Pavel Florensky - Theologian, Philosopher and Scientist
32. François De Gandt, Husserl and Impossible Numbers: a Sceptical Experience
33. Bruno Pinchard, Symbol and Space According to René Guénon
34. Teun Koetsier, Eddington: Science and the Unseen World
35. Albert van der Schoot, The Divined Proportion

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

• Moments of brilliant synthesis between mathematical rigor and religious openness

Editorial Reviews

"...Mathematics and the Divine makes a valuable contribution to opening up the history of this topic. It should provide welcome encouragement and assistance to others who would like to explore this arena further for themselves." —in THE MATHEMATICAL ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

From the Publisher