Description
Book SynopsisStewart Shapiro presents a distinctive and persuasive view of the foundations of mathematics, arguing controversially that second-order logic has a central role to play in laying these foundations. To support this contention, he first gives a detailed development of second-order and higher-order logic, in a way that will be accessible to graduate students. He then demonstrates that second-order notions are prevalent in mathematics as practised, and that higher-order logic is needed to codify many contemporary mathematical concepts. Throughout, he emphasizes philosophical and historical issues that the subject raises. Foundations without Foundationalism is a key contribution both to philosophy of mathematics and to mathematical logic. ''In this excellent treatise Shapiro defends the use of second-order languages and logic as framework for mathematics. His coverage of the wide range of logical and philosophical topics required for understanding the controversy over second-order logic is
Trade ReviewContains more on second-order logic than is readily available in any other textbook or survey. Philosophically, the book also contains many words of wisdom. * Journal of Symbolic Logic *
Table of ContentsPART I: ORIENTATION; 1. TERMS AND QUESTIONS; 2. FOUNDATIONALISM AND FOUNDATIONS OF MATHEMATICS; PART II: LOGIC AND MATHEMATICS; 3. THEORY; 4. METATHEORY; 5. SECOND-ORDER LOGIC AND MATHEMATICS; 6. ADVANCED METATHEORY; PART III: HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY; 7. THE HISTORICAL 'TRIUMPH' OF FIRST-ORDER LANGUAGES; 8. SECOND-ORDER LOGIC AND RULE-FOLLOWING; 9. THE COMPETITION; REFERENCES; INDEX
