Philosophy of Mathematics

Reviews / Votes

real realists will feel, Shapiro's book is an important contribution to the philosophy of mathematics. It fills a major gap: although structuralism has seemed to many a promising idea, we have not previously had so sustained and thorough a treatment of its metaphysical and ontological implications. Everyone interested in the subject will have much to learn from this rich and intriguing book. * Keith Hossack, The Philosophical Quarterly, Vol 50, No 198 January 2000 * Shapiro is admirably candid about the limits of structuralism in dealing with mathematical applicability ... There is a lot more in this fair, judicious, and informative book than I have been able to indicate in the scope of a short review. Whether or not the reader is persuaded by Shapiro's structuralism, one can learn a great deal about contemporary philosophy of mathematics from the book. * Mark Steiner, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem Philosophy Quarterly, vol 48, July 1999 * Insightful. The Economist (UK), February 2000