Structuralism and Fictionalism in the Philosophy of Mathematics

About the conference:

The abstract character of mathematics raises difficult philosophical questions as to the nature and existence of mathematical entities, such as numbers, functions, sets, groups, graphs, and number systems.  This conference will explore such questions from the perspective of two different traditional approaches, viz. “mathematical structuralism” and “mathematical fictionalism”. The main objective of the conference is to re-evaluate these perspectives and to consider the relationship between them.  Specifically, the following research questions will be addressed in the conference:

- Do either structuralism or fictionalism offer a philosophically viable foundation for modern mathematics?

- To what extent are structuralism and fictionalism faithful to mathematical practice?

- What are the connections between the structuralist and fictionalist approaches to the philosophy of mathematics?

- How do mathematicians think about meaning, reference, and truth in mathematics?

Participation Cost:   Free admission. Everybody is welcome.  

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 890376.