Plato's Heaven : A Conversation with James Robert Brown.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Burton, Howard.

Series:

Ideas Roadshow Conversations

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Brown, James Robert.

Naturalism.

Platonists.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (48 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Other Title:

Plato's Heaven

Place of Publication:

Toronto : Open Agenda Publishing, 2021.

Summary:

This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and James Robert Brown, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Toronto. This wide-ranging conversation addresses a central theme in current philosophy: Platonism vs. Naturalism and provides accounts of both approaches to mathematics. The Platonist-Naturalist debate over mathematics is explored in a comprehensive fashion and also sheds light on non-mathematical aspects of a dispute that is central to contemporary philosophy.Thought experiments stand as a fascinating challenge to the necessity of data in the empirical sciences. Are these experiments, conducted uniquely in our imagination, simply rhetorical devices or communication tools or are they an essential part of scientific practice? This book surveys the current state of this debate and explores new avenues of research into the epistemology of thought experiments.This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Mathematical Metaphysics, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter. Howard Burton was the Founding Director of Canada's Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He holds a PhD in theoretical physics and an MA in philosophy. This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in a focused yet informal setting to provide a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks.

Contents:

Intro

A Note on the Text

Introduction

The Conversation

I. Introducing Platonism

II. Attacks and Defenses

III. Seeing With the Mind's Eye

IV. Platonism Bounces Back

V. The Philosophical Life

Continuing the Conversation.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781771700320

1771700327

OCLC:

1255221780