Aesthetics and philosophy of mathematics are often perceived to be at opposite ends of the philosophical spectrum. Questions about the nature of art\, beauty and aesthetic experience seem \;to have little connection with such problems as the logical structure of formal arguments or the ontological status of abstract objects. And yet the phenomenon of mathematical beauty and \;the pervasive appeal to aesthetic criteria in mathematics raise questions in both areas of the discipline. The conference is motivated by the belief that philosophical analysis of beauty in mathematics \;requires real dialogue between aestheticians and philosophers of mathematics. By bringing together specialists in the two fields\, the aims of the conference are:
- to make sense of aesthetic judgments in mathematics and thereby shed light on a theme that has largely been neglected in contemporary philosophical debates\,
- to explore the relation between mathematics and art\, and
- to investigate the implications of the connection between aesthetics and mathematical practice for other areas of philosophy (in particular the philosophy of science insofar as it involves the application of mathematics).
CONFIRMED SPEAKERS
John Bell (Western Ontario)
Catarina Dutilh-Novaes (Groningen)
Thomas Forster (Cambridge)
Louise Hanson (Cambridge)
Kenneth Manders (Pittsburgh)
James McAllister (Leiden)
Chris Pincock (Ohio State)
Elizabeth Schellekens (Durham)
Cain Todd (Lancaster)
Please feel free to contact the organisers with any questions you may have at:bsam14@easychair.org
We support the Gendered Conference Campaign:
http://feministphilosophers.wordpress.com/gendered-conference-campaign/