[FOM] CH and mathematics

[Thomas Forster]

Well, if i said that i was trailing my coat.  The idea that existence of
a mathematical object is the same as the consistency of its description is 
a pervasive view arising - i think - from a subliminal apprehension of the 
completeness theorem for first-order logic.  It's not a *completely* crazy
idea; in the context I probably meant that Bill was advocating something 
that conflicted with this view and that it might be an idea to think of 
his point (whatever it was) in that light.


On Fri, 18 Jan 2008, Bill Taylor wrote:
>
>
> Last year, while list member Thomas Forster was visiting here, a topic
> came up in conversation between us, wherein I was querying whether some
> mathematical structure "really existed".  His quick reply was, "Well,
> we know it's consistent, therefore it exists.  Consistency is existence!"
>
> Bill Taylor.
>
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