Talk: Mark Balaguer (Cal State-LA)

Title:

Mathematical Platonism and the Mind-Dependence of Mathematical Truth

Abstract:

Mark Balaguer will (i) argue for a pretty strong version of the idea that mathematical truth is determined by facts about our minds; (ii) he will argue that a certain sort of cultural (or biological) relativism about mathematics is true; (iii) he will argue that, perhaps surprisingly, these two theses (i.e., mathematical relativism and mind-dependence about mathematics) are compatible with mathematical platonism—and, indeed, that platonists should endorse these two theses (i.e., that the best version of platonism entails these two theses); and (iv) he will say a few words at the end of the paper about what all of this tells us about the question of whether mathematics is primarily created or discovered.