Ep. 33 – Do Mathematical Objects Exist? | Dr. Jody Azzouni
What are numbers? What are concepts? Do they exist, or do we just act like they exist?
I’m joined by Dr. Jody Azzouni of Tufts University. He’s a philosopher who has been arguing for nominalism for years – the idea that numbers and abstract objects don’t exist at all.
His position is a wonderful contrast to the previous interviews I’ve done on this topic, where the guests have been Platonists. My own views sit in-between nominalism and Platonism.
I think abstract objects exist, but they do not exist in a Platonic realm. They exist in our minds. When we stop thinking about them, they stop existing.