Are Numbers Real?

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The book is about giving an account of real that's going to be applicable to the kind of questions that people discuss in philosophy of science when they ask, are atoms real? Are tables real as well as atoms? So good. More contentious examples, numbers are numbers real? Good. I mean, they're not going to fit the real patterns account. And if you want to allow the reality of abstract objects, then the criterion is going to have to be modified. You can either say thereal patterns account just is what's real full stop and all this other stuff is not, or you can say the realpatterns account is a good account of empirical reality.

Reality is a tricky thing. Is love real? What about the number 5? This is clearly a job for a philosopher, and James Ladyman is one of the world’s acknowledged experts. He and his collaborators have been championing a view known as “structural realism,” in which real things are those that reflect true, useful patterns in the underlying reality. We talk about that, but also about a couple of other subjects in the broad area of philosophy of science: the history and current status of materialism/physicalism, and the nature of complex systems. This is a deep one. Support Mindscape on Patreon or Paypal. James Ladyman obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds, and is currently a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bristol. He has worked broadly within the philosophy of science, including issues of realism, empiricism, physicalism, complexity, and information. His book Everything Must Go (co-authored with Don Ross) has become an influential work on the relationship between metaphysics and science. Web page Everything Must Go Academia.edu page PhilPeople profile Conversation with Raymond Tallis Structural Realism at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.