¡°Field¡¯s Challenge and Mathematical Practice¡±

Hartry Field raises an epistemological challenge for mathematical platonism: roughly, if mathematics is about causally inert mathematical objects, how could mathematicians so reliably get mathematical truths right? But Field¡¯s challenge presupposes a deeply misguided picture of mathematical practice. Once this picture is corrected, I argue, Field¡¯s epistemological challenge pretty much reduces to an older epistemological challenge (due to Paul Benacerraf) that Field was trying to replace.

Dr. Eileen Nutting is an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Kansas. Her research areas include Philosophy of Mathematics, Epistemology, and Metaphysics.