Non-Fiction Books:

A Logical Journey

From Gödel to Philosophy
Click to share your rating 0 ratings (0.0/5.0 average) Thanks for your vote!

By:

Format:

Paperback / softback
$115.99
Available from supplier

The item is brand new and in-stock with one of our preferred suppliers. The item will ship from a Mighty Ape warehouse within the timeframe shown.

Usually ships in 3-4 weeks

Buy Now, Pay Later with:

4 payments of $29.00 with Afterpay Learn more

Availability

Delivering to:

Estimated arrival:

  • Around 13-25 June using International Courier

Description

Hao Wang (1921-1995) was one of the few confidants of the great mathematician and logician Kurt G del. A Logical Journey is a continuation of Wang's Reflections on G del and also elaborates on discussions contained in From Mathematics to Philosophy. A decade in preparation, it contains important and unfamiliar insights into G del's views on a wide range of issues, from Platonism and the nature of logic, to minds and machines, the existence of God, and positivism and phenomenology.The impact of G del's theorem on twentieth-century thought is on par with that of Einstein's theory of relativity, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, or Keynesian economics. These previously unpublished intimate and informal conversations, however, bring to light and amplify G del's other major contributions to logic and philosophy. They reveal that there is much more in G del's philosophy of mathematics than is commonly believed, and more in his philosophy than his philosophy of mathematics. Wang writes that "it is even possible that his quite informal and loosely structured conversations with me, which I am freely using in this book, will turn out to be the fullest existing expression of the diverse components of his inadequately articulated general philosophy." The first two chapters are devoted to G del's life and mental development. In the chapters that follow, Wang illustrates the quest for overarching solutions and grand unifications of knowledge and action in G del's written speculations on God and an afterlife. He gives the background and a chronological summary of the conversations, considers G del's comments on philosophies and philosophers (his support of Husserl's phenomenology and his digressions on Kant and Wittgenstein), and his attempt to demonstrate the superiority of the mind's power over brains and machines. Three chapters are tied together by what Wang perceives to be G del's governing ideal of philosophy- an exact theory in which mathematics and Newtonian physics serve as a model for philosophy or metaphysics. Finally, in an epilog Wang sketches his own approach to philosophy in contrast to his interpretation of G del's outlook. Hao Wang (1921-1995) was one of the few confidants of the great mathematician and logician Kurt G del. A Logical Journey is a continuation of Wang's Reflections on G del and also elaborates on discussions contained in From Mathematics to Philosophy. A decade in preparation, it contains important and unfamiliar insights into G del's views on a wide range of issues, from Platonism and the nature of logic, to minds and machines, the existence of God, and positivism and phenomenology.The impact of G del's theorem on twentieth-century thought is on par with that of Einstein's theory of relativity, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, or Keynesian economics. These previously unpublished intimate and informal conversations, however, bring to light and amplify G del's other major contributions to logic and philosophy. They reveal that there is much more in G del's philosophy of mathematics than is commonly believed, and more in his philosophy than his philosophy of mathematics. Wang writes that "it is even possible that his quite informal and loosely structured conversations with me, which I am freely using in this book, will turn out to be the fullest existing expression of the diverse components of his inadequately articulated general philosophy." The first two chapters are devoted to G del's life and mental development. In the chapters that follow, Wang illustrates the quest for overarching solutions and grand unifications of knowledge and action in G del's written speculations on God and an afterlife. He gives the background and a chronological summary of the conversations, considers G del's comments on philosophies and philosophers (his support of Husserl's phenomenology and his digressions on Kant and Wittgenstein), and his attempt to demonstrate the superiority of the mind's power over brains and machines. Three chapters are tied together by what Wang perceives to be G del's governing ideal of philosophy- an exact theory in which mathematics and Newtonian physics serve as a model for philosophy or metaphysics. Finally, in an epilog Wang sketches his own approach to philosophy in contrast to his interpretation of G del's outlook.

Author Biography:

Hao Wang is Professor of Logic at The Rockefeller University and author of scores of articles and several books on logic, computers, and philosophy, including From Mathematics to Philosophy (extensively discussed with G del and containing contributions by him) and Beyond Analytic Philosophy- Doing Justice to What We Know (MIT Press Bradford Books). He is currently preparing a companion volume, Conversations with Kurt G del which will concentrate on G del's unpublished ideas.
Release date Australia
March 25th, 2016
Author
Pages
408
Audience
  • Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
ISBN-13
9780262529167
Product ID
27546845

Customer reviews

Nobody has reviewed this product yet. You could be the first!

Write a Review

Marketplace listings

There are no Marketplace listings available for this product currently.
Already own it? Create a free listing and pay just 9% commission when it sells!

Sell Yours Here

Help & options

Filed under...