Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00133)

Tom Robertson wrote:
> 
> Bart Lidofsky wrote:
> 
> >Mathematics is an entirely artificial system, and can be
> >changed at will. In general, however, the change has to be
> >useful in order for it to be widely accepted. The most
> >recent major change in the laws of mathematics was the
> >invention of imaginary numbers.
> 
> The laws of mathematics are eternal and changeless.  Like the laws of
> morality and physics, they can be discovered, but never invented.

	Poetic, but entirely false. Mathematics is a system devised for
describing things. The only thing constant about it is that people
around the world have come up with similar enough systems that they can
all agree on the results. The reason of the purity of mathematics is
that it is entirely symbolic; it represents reality, but it is not part
of it.

	Bart Lidofsky