- #36
honestrosewater
Gold Member
- 2,142
- 6
If you want to delve into a mathematician's brain, why not deny the invention of mathematical language? That is certainly more reasonable than denying the invention of mathematical concepts.
Language, along with it's cognitive structures, has a longer history and wider usage, even amongst nonhuman animals. The seemingly innate mathematical abilities lose their mathematical character when viewed as the accompaniments or by-products of already developed liguistic cognitive structures. How does simple counting differ from putting a name to a face? But there is more to math than putting two and two together. (And I have yet to see those monkeys on typewriters write Shakespeare BTW
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From denying mathematicians credit for their conscious intent and manipulation of ideas follows the elimination of the entire category of human invention, thus making the entire invention/discovery distinction pointless anyway. Perhaps the "real" question is then, "Conscious or mechanistic"?
Sorry, I'm tired and a bit grumpy.
Happy thoughts
Rachel
Language, along with it's cognitive structures, has a longer history and wider usage, even amongst nonhuman animals. The seemingly innate mathematical abilities lose their mathematical character when viewed as the accompaniments or by-products of already developed liguistic cognitive structures. How does simple counting differ from putting a name to a face? But there is more to math than putting two and two together. (And I have yet to see those monkeys on typewriters write Shakespeare BTW
From denying mathematicians credit for their conscious intent and manipulation of ideas follows the elimination of the entire category of human invention, thus making the entire invention/discovery distinction pointless anyway. Perhaps the "real" question is then, "Conscious or mechanistic"?
Sorry, I'm tired and a bit grumpy.
Happy thoughts
Rachel