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Abstractionism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 February 2025

Francesca Boccuni
Affiliation:
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University
Luca Zanetti
Affiliation:
Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS Pavia

Summary

The aim of this Element is to provide an overview of abstractionism in the philosophy of mathematics. The authors distinguish between mathematical abstractionism, which interprets mathematical theories on the basis of abstraction principles, and philosophical abstractionism, which attributes a philosophical significance to mathematical abstractionism. They then survey the main semantic, ontological, and epistemological theses that are associated with philosophical abstractionism. Finally, the authors suggest that the most recent developments in the debate pull abstractionism in different directions.
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