Brouwer and Weyl: The Phenomenology and Mathematics of the Intuitive Continuum

Brouwer and Weyl recognized that the intuitive continuum requires a mathematical analysis of a kind that set theory is not able to provide. As an alternative, Brouwer introduced choice sequences. We first describe the features of the intuitive continuum that prompted this development, focusing in pa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophia mathematica 2002-06, Vol.10 (2), p.203-226
Main Authors: VAN ATTEN, MARK, VAN DALEN, DIRK, TIESZEN, RICHARD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Brouwer, LEJ
Mathematics
Phenomenology
Philosophy
Weyl, Hermann
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Brouwer and Weyl recognized that the intuitive continuum requires a mathematical analysis of a kind that set theory is not able to provide. As an alternative, Brouwer introduced choice sequences. We first describe the features of the intuitive continuum that prompted this development, focusing in particular on the flow of internal time as described in Husserl's phenomenology. Then we look at choice sequences and their logic. Finally, we investigate the differences between Brouwer and Weyl, and argue that Weyl's conception of choice sequences is defective on several counts.
ISSN:0031-8019
1744-6406
DOI:10.1093/philmat/10.2.203