What IS Math? A Survey of Mathematical Philosophy

This is a short surface-level survey course of seven different "schools" of mathematical philosophy. It showcases three different thinkers in each school and explores their ideas and positions on what Mathematics is.

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Course curriculum

1. About the Course
2. My Personal (Teaching) Philosophy
1. Realism Video
2. Realism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Realism
4. Realism Quiz
1. Idealism Video
2. Idealism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Idealism
4. Idealism Quiz
1. Formalism Video
2. Formalism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Formalism
4. Formalism Quiz
1. Logicism video
2. Logicism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Logicism
4. Logicism Quiz
1. Structuralism Video
2. Structuralism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Structuralism
4. Structuralism Quiz
1. Empiricism Video
2. Empiricism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Empiricism
4. Empiricism Quiz
1. Fictionalism Video
2. Fictionalism Article
3. Open Questions & Critiques of Fictionalism
4. Fictionalism Quiz
1. Categorizing the 7 Schools (Compare and Contrast)
2. Answering 5 Basic Philosophical Questions (Compare and Contrast)
3. Final Quiz

About this course

Free
33 lessons
1.5 hours of video content

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The Modern Math Academy with Dr. W

What IS Math? A Survey of Mathematical Philosophy

Course curriculum

Welcome to the Course

School #1: Realism (Plato, Leibniz, and Godel)

School #2: Idealism (Berkeley, Kant, and Brouwer)

School #3: Formalism (Hilbert, Curry, and Carnap)

School #4: Logicism (Frege, Russell, Whitehead)

School #5: Structuralism (Poincare, Benacerraf, Shapiro)

School #6: Empiricism (Mill, Kitcher, Lakatos)

School #7: Fictionalism (Peirce, Vaihinger, Field)

Comparing and Contrasting the 7 Schools

About this course

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