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Husserl on Numbers

nomadx
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Posted 09/12/09 - 06:06 AM: Subject: Husserl on Numbers	#1
I'm reading Husserl's philosophy of Arithmetic. I must say, I'm completely baffled - from what I can see, Husserl in Philosophy of Arithmetic is practicing psychologism, and yet I know this can't be right, because I just read his critique of psychologism. I just cannot get a grip on Husserl, can someone please tell me how I should periodize Husserl's thought.
What is a box? Is the text in the box separate from the text outside the box? How is it linked? What is the border, the margin or frame? Is it inside or outside the box? And why do we talk of a box, say, rather than a square or oblong, a coffin or crypt? What are we trying to hide? Or what is hereby hiding? 'What is a box?' (The Truth in Painting: 229)

Kwalish Kid
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Posted 09/12/09 - 08:19 AM:	#2
It's been a while since I looked in depth at Husserl. He is a link between the Continental tradition and the Analytic tradition, both descendants of Kant. If I remember correctly, Husserl is concerned with the use that we make in using mathematics to describe the contents of our perception. Following Kant, we use mathematical constructions to provide the framework in which we conceptualize the things we perceive. I really can't remember exactly where Husserl takes that.
"Scientific truth is always paradox, if judged by everyday experience, which catches only the delusive nature of things." - KM, V, P and P Can you pass Religion 101?

MarchHare
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Posted 09/18/09 - 04:24 PM:	#3
I'm by no means familiar with Husserl, but I do remember reading this portion of a Stanford Encyclopedia article on Husserl's views on psychologism in logic- http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/psychologism/#HusAntArg - I would imagine that he has a similar attitude towards mathematics (since it's also an analytic discipline) but I'm not too sure.
Doubt requires a reason to doubt. Nothing is immune from potential doubt. The correct response to a question isn't always to try to give the question's answer.

philosophytomorrow
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Posted 09/18/09 - 05:41 PM:	#4
I took a phenomenology class where we read Husserl. Husserl, at least to me, makes Being and Time look like Hop on Pop. Good luck.
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