Naturalism in the Philosophy of Mathematics

Abstract

In the contemporary philosophy of mathematics there is an ongoing discussion concerning the issue of the justification of mathematical axioms and independent sentences. The works of P. Maddy in which the author focuses on the set theory are extensive studies devoted to that problem. In one of the monographs she deals with the problem of the justification of set theory's sentences in a new way, assuming a different metaphilosophical standpoint. In the paper (which is the first part of the two-part whole) Maddy's conception is faithfully presented. The author makes no comments of his own, except for the first - introductory - chapter and footnotes, in which some additional explanations and comments can be found.