Philosophy of mathematics

Christine Tinsley: Being a Teacher Outside of the Classroom When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say that I wanted to be a teacher. My grade school instructors had a lasting impression on me. There has been a history of teaching in my family, it kind of runs in my blood. My teachers and family made a significant impact on my life and my decision to be a teacher. I would not have become the person I am today without them. I want to be able to do that or be that for…

Woolsthorpe, England and died in London on March 31, 1727. He made many great scientific discoveries in the categories of optics, motion, and mathematics. With these discoveries, he became known as one of the greatest minds of the 17th century Scientific Revolution. He wrote about these discoveries by publishing a book called Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. This book became known as the most influential book on physics. Newton’s father was a prosperous local farmer, also named…

discussion of both sides of the issue. I will draw many of my anecdotes from mathematics in particular as I am particularly opinionated on education in that field, but they should be applicable to other subjects as well.…

different fields of this subject. I have particularly enjoyed studying comparative psychology because I am interested in how the human mind can be explained in evolutionary terms and how we can be compared to non-human animals. I have always enjoyed mathematics, both learning and application. I have relished the course I have taken at college as it has a variety of areas and the opportunity to study different branches. I have particularly…

Like most universities in Europe, Cambridge was submerged in Aristotelian philosophy, dealing with nature in qualitative rather than quantitative terms. During his first three years at Cambridge, Newton was taught the standard curriculum, but was pleased with the science that was more advanced. During this time Newton kept a second…

to Descartes’ argument of the Cogito. The first thing that this essay will address is about Descartes’ philosophical method. Descartes not only was a philosopher, but also he was a great mathematician. Therefore, he strongly believed that as in mathematics there is a method and rules to gain mathematical science, there should be a specific method and some rules to identify philosophical data as well.…

developed a theory of color based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into many colors of the visible spectrum. One of Isaac Newton’s major works was philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica, (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) which was completed in 18 months. At the age of 45, his piece of work was first published in Latin in 1687 (smith). In the Principa Newton provided mathematical solutions to most of his problems relating to motion, using his laws of…

the U.S. again. While living and learning on four continents and through similar experiences volunteering, I have developed my moral and political philosophy of helping…

appeal to the Pope, “It is to your Holiness rather than to anyone else that I have chosen to dedicate these studies of mine,”(#1). He is essentially appealing to the Church to accept the radical ideas the book presents, in the name of God and mathematics/science. Of course, the Church did not do this in the end. Another case of religious influence on science in this time period is the acceptance of astronomy as a valid science in relation to “God’s creation”. The Church tended to be against…

Even his friends shook their heads regretfully in sympathy for my misery. The conversation appeared ready to move on to another topic, but there was a sudden inspiration rising up in me which was triggered by a recent lecture in our Ancient Greek Philosophy course. The pre-Socratic philosopher Zeno had claimed that change and motion were illusions and he attempted to demonstrate this by presenting a set of apparent contradictions utilizing the concept of infinity. His paradox of the arrow can…