The Thomistic Institute

God, Beauty, and Mathematics | Prof. Alexander Pruss

Apr 30, 2025
Alexander Pruss, a philosophy professor at Baylor University with dual PhDs in mathematics and philosophy, discusses profound connections between God, beauty, and mathematics. He explores the paradoxical nature of math and its aesthetic dimensions, linking elegance in scientific theories to simplicity in faith. Pruss dives deep into how mathematical concepts reflect divine authorship, alongside historical perspectives from thinkers like Augustine. The conversation continues to unravel philosophical questions about reality and theistic interpretations of our universe.
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INSIGHT

Math: Unique Certainty and Mystery

  • Mathematics uniquely combines absolute certainty with deep mystery about its meaning.
  • Unlike other sciences, math's truths remain unchanged over millennia despite unknown essence of numbers.
INSIGHT

Plato's Realm and Human Access

  • Plato saw mathematical objects as perfect forms in a separate non-physical realm.
  • This raises the puzzle how humans evolved to know about this invisible world and why math is so useful.
INSIGHT

Gödel's Challenge to Logicism

  • Logicism treats math as what can be proved by logic, but Gödel's theorems show this notion is as mysterious as math itself.
  • Thus logical proof theory cannot fully deflate the mystery of mathematics.
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