45 - Jody Azzouni: Nominalism in the Philosophy of Mathematics

Jan 23, 2023

01:47:15

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Episode notes

Jody Azzouni is a professor of philosophy at Tufts University. While Jody is best known for his nominalist stance in the philosophy of mathematics, he is also an author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. He and Robinson talk about his love of writing and how his interest in mathematics bloomed during in his time spent at NYU and CUNY. They then move on to the debate between nominalists and platonists in the philosophy of mathematics, Jody’s own deflationary stance, and some adjacent concerns about ontological commitment in both formal and informal languages.

Outline:

00:00 Introduction

3:16 Jody’s Writing Background

9:05 Jody’s Poetry

21:20 The Relationship Between Jody’s Philosophy and Everything Else

32:33 Jody’s Interest in the Philosophy of Mathematics

40:02 The Platonist/Nominalist Opposition in the Philosophy of Mathematics

49:29 The Platonist Conception of Mathematical Objects

52:50 A Nominalist Argument Against Mathematical Realism

1:09:41 Varieties of Mathematical Nominalism

1:18:55 Nominalism in Mathematics and Metaphysics

1:24:39 Ontological Commitment in the Vernacular