On Suprasubjective Existence in Mathematics

Abstract

DOI: http://doi.org/10.26333/sts.xxxii2.05 STANISŁAW KRAJEWSKI ON SUPRASUBJECTIVE EXISTENCE IN MATHEMATICS SU M M A R Y: The professional mathematician is a Platonist with regard to the existence of mathematical entities, but, if pressed to tell what kind of existence they have, he hides behind a formalist approach. In order to take both attitudes into account in a possibly serious way, the concept of suprasubjective existence is proposed. It involves intersubjective existence, plus a stress on objectivity devoid of actual objects. The idea is illustrated, following William Byers, by the phenomenon of the rainbow: it is not an object but can be said to possess a subjective objectivity. Stanisław Krajewski University of Warsaw Institute of Philosophy E-mail: [email protected] ORCID: 0000-0002-1142-8112

Keywords

• mathematics
• Platonism
• formalism
• existence
• objective
• subjective