Hilbert, Detlefsen and a Fregean response

This thesis examines Frege's objections to Hilbert's program. It argues that Frege's concerns can best be understood as questioning Hilbert's implicit importing of content into ideal mathematics. A contemporary defense of Hilbert, Michael Detlefsen's Hilbert's Program, is taken as representative of an anti-Fregean view. Detlefsen, following Hilbert, develops the finitary/ideal distinction in mathematics. Finitary mathematics, unlike ideal mathematics, is claimed to involve genuine propositions. Frege's objections are thus primarily directed against ideal mathematics. More accurately, Frege's objections are seen as demonstrating the need for explicitly identifying the background language in which Hilbert's program, and thus model theory, are carried out.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts - MA

Level thesis:degree_level

master's

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Philosophy

Grantor dc:publisher

University of British Columbia

Year dc:date

1993

Author dc:creator

• Vogt, Rudy H.

Statement dc:rights

• For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

Language dc:language

eng

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/2108

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:circle.library.ubc.ca:2429/2108