Mathematics and the Roots of Postmodern Thought (Hardcover)

by Vladimir Tasic (Author) "The antagonism between two vaguely conceived entities, colloquially labeled "science" and "postmodernism," seems to have become part of public life..." (more)
Key Phrases: finitary intuition, functionalist semantics, romanticist thinkers, Chinese Room, Principle of the Excluded Middle, Creative Subject (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
The book makes pleasant and interesting reading. Mathematical Reviews

Product Description
This is a charming and insightful contribution to an understanding of the "Science Wars" between postmodernist humanism and science, driving toward a resolution of the mutual misunderstanding that has driven the controversy. It traces the root of postmodern theory to a debate on the foundations of mathematics early in the 20th century, then compares developments in mathematics to what took place in the arts and humanities, discussing issues as diverse as literary theory, arts, and artificial intelligence. This is a straightforward, easily understood presentation of what can be difficult theoretical concepts It demonstrates that a pattern of misreading mathematics can be seen both on the part of science and on the part of postmodern thinking. This is a humorous, playful yet deeply serious look at the intellectual foundations of mathematics for those in the humanities and the perfect critical introduction to the bases of modernism and postmodernism for those in the sciences.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195139674
• ISBN-13: 978-0195139679
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,173,271 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read it and think about it!, September 4, 2001

By	G. J. Chaitin (Yorktown Heights, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This wonderful book digests more than a century of
Western philosophical thought and interconnects it with
the recent controversies over the foundations of mathematics.
Unlike Sokal & Bricmont's Fashionable Nonsense, which is
very unsympathetic to the French Postmodern school, Tasic
is quite sympathetic to them. Indeed, he manages to
extract and explain the basic ideas of many, many philosophers
and intellectuals who had previously seemed quite opaque.
Highly recommended! An exceptional and important book!
---Gregory Chaitin, IBM Research Division,
author of Conversations with a Mathematician

1 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good presentation of philosophy of math, August 10, 2002

By	Peter Timusk "exhausted scholar" (Ottawa, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A good way to read about mathematical philosophy. A bit dry and heavy in parts. I don't know a lot about postmoderism but am learning, as many of the people I read and write about are postmodernists. People seem to rave about postmodernists but even though some are maybe out to lunch which is bad because they have responsiblilities for the disabled as psyhciatrists, they have some interesting points for thought. Don't get blind sided by postmodernism, study first year calculus at least in your fine arts degree.