Rebecca Goldstein Quote
Mathematicians prove all sorts of truths about numbers, truths that often assert the existence of certain numbers (for example, given two rational numbers, there exists a rational number between them) and sometimes the non-existence of certain numbers (for example, there exists no largest prime number). But what does this talk of mathematical existence amount to? Do these proofs really have to do with existence in the same way that tables and chairs, the moon and the sun, and you and me exist? Or is mathematical existence something like saying that a particular move exists in chess—say, when a pawn has moved completely across the board to a square on the opponent’s back row and can be exchanged for any piece, not just a piece that your opponent has captured, which can result in your having, say, two queens on the board?
Mathematicians prove all sorts of truths about numbers, truths that often assert the existence of certain numbers (for example, given two rational numbers, there exists a rational number between them) and sometimes the non-existence of certain numbers (for example, there exists no largest prime number). But what does this talk of mathematical existence amount to? Do these proofs really have to do with existence in the same way that tables and chairs, the moon and the sun, and you and me exist? Or is mathematical existence something like saying that a particular move exists in chess—say, when a pawn has moved completely across the board to a square on the opponent’s back row and can be exchanged for any piece, not just a piece that your opponent has captured, which can result in your having, say, two queens on the board?
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About Rebecca Goldstein
In her three non-fiction works, she has shown an affinity for philosophical rationalism, as well as a conviction that philosophy, like science, makes progress, and that scientific progress is itself supported by philosophical arguments.
Increasingly, in her talks and interviews, she has been exploring what she has called "mattering theory" as an alternative to traditional utilitarianism. This theory is a continuation of her idea of "the mattering map", first suggested in her novel The Mind–Body Problem. The concept of the mattering map has been widely adopted in contexts as diverse as cultural criticism, psychology, and behavioral economics.
Goldstein is a MacArthur Fellow, and has received the National Humanities Medal and the National Jewish Book Award.