“The indispensability argument says (roughly) that if you have ample reason to accept an empirical scientific theory that makes indispensable use of mathematics, and that theory entails that numbers exist, then you have ample reason to accept that numbers exist. The argument affirms the antecedent of this conditional, and concludes that you have ample reason to believe that numbers exist. What is striking about this argument is that it seems to show that the empirical reasons that suffice for accepting a scientific theory also suffice for accepting a metaphysical claim.” IfsBelieveReasonUseShowsSeemsNumbersAcceptingTheoryArgumentClaimsMathematicsIndispensableMetaphysicalScientific TheoryConditional Author:Elliott Sober
“Freeman denied the claim that he was a “man of God”, saying that “the question of faith is whatever you actually believe is. We take a lot of what we're talking about in science on faith; we posit a theory, and until it's dis-proven we have faith that it's true. If the mathematics work out, then it's true, until it's proven to be untrue.” IfsMenBelieveTalkingTheoryClaimsMathematicsWork OutHave FaithDeniedProvenUntrueFreemanMan Of God Author:Morgan Freeman
“In mathematics, if I find a new approach to a problem, another mathematician might claim that he has a better, more elegant solution. In chess, if anybody claims he is better than I, I can checkmate him.” IfsI CanProblemMightHumourApproachSolutionsClaimsMathematicsChessMathematicianElegantNew ApproachCheckmateElegant Solutions Author:Emanuel Lasker