Journal Article
Mathematical Constructivism in Spacetime
Geoffrey Hellman
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
Vol. 49, No. 3 (Sep., 1998), pp. 425-450
Published
by: Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Society for the Philosophy of Science
https://www.jstor.org/stable/688083
Page Count: 26
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Topics: Spacetime, Mathematical constructivism, Mathematical theorems, Physics, Logical theorems, Constructivism, Mathematical objects, Constructive mathematics, Relationism, Mathematical manifolds
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Abstract
To what extent can constructive mathematics based on intuitionistic logic recover the mathematics needed for spacetime physics? Certain aspects of this important question are examined, both technical and philosophical. On the technical side, order, connectivity, and extremization properties of the continuum are reviewed, and attention is called to certain striking results concerning causal structure in General Relativity Theory, in particular the singularity theorems of Hawking and Penrose. As they stand, these results appear to elude constructivization. On the philosophical side, it is argued that any mentalist-based radical constructivism suffers from a kind of neo-Kantian apriorism. It would be at best a lucky accident if objective spacetime structure mirrored mentalist mathematics. The latter would seem implicitly committed to a Leibnizian relationist view of spacetime, but it is doubtful if implementation of such a view would overcome the objection. As a result, an anti-realist view of physics seems forced on the radical constructivist.
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science
© 1998 The British Society for the Philosophy of Science