The browser you are using is not supported by this website. All versions of Internet Explorer are no longer supported, either by us or Microsoft (read more here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/windows/end-of-ie-support).

Please use a modern browser to fully experience our website, such as the newest versions of Edge, Chrome, Firefox or Safari etc.

Natural numbers and infinitesimals: a discussion between Benno Kerry and Georg Cantor

På svenska

Author

  • Carlo Proietti

Summary, in English

During the first months of 1887, while completing the drafts of his Mitteilungen zur Lehre vom Transfiniten, Georg Cantor maintained a continuous correspondence with Benno Kerry. Their exchange essentially concerned two main topics in the philosophy of mathematics, namely, (a) the concept of natural number and (b) the infinitesimals. Cantor's and Kerry's positions turned out to be irreconcilable, mostly because of Kerry's irremediably psychologistic outlook, according to Cantor at least. In this study, I will examine and reconstruct the main points in the discussion around (a) and (b) and stress some interesting aspects of the philosophical and mathematical thought of Benno Kerry.

Publishing year

2008

Language

English

Pages

343-359

Publication/Series

History and Philosophy of Logic

Volume

29

Issue

4

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Taylor & Francis

Topic

  • Philosophy

Keywords

  • history of logic
  • infinitesimals
  • history of mathematics
  • natural numbers

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0144-5340