Werndl, Charlotte (2009) Justifying definitions in mathematics: going beyond Lakatos. Philosophia mathematica, 17 (3). pp. 313-340. ISSN 0031-8019
Abstract
This paper addresses the actual practice of justifying definitions in mathematics. First, I introduce the main account of this issue, namely Lakatos's proof-generated definitions. Based on a case study of definitions of randomness in ergodic theory, I identify three other common ways of justifying definitions: natural-world justification, condition justification, and redundancy justification. Also, I clarify the interrelationships between the different kinds of justification. Finally, I point out how Lakatos's ideas are limited: they fail to show how various kinds of justification can be found and can be reasonable, and they fail to acknowledge the interplay among the different kinds of justification.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://philmat.oxfordjournals.org/ |
| Additional Information: | © 2009 The Author |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | Q Science > QA Mathematics |
| Sets: | Departments > Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method |
| Rights: | http://www.lse.ac.uk/library/rights/LSERO.htm |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/31097/ |
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