Philosophy of mathematics and natural science

Description

Herman Weyl (1885-1955) has been described by Roger Penrose as the most influential mathematician who worked entirely in the 20th century. Many of his books are in print but not this one; Atheneum did a very small font reprint in the 1960's and even that is not available. Yet this book, which I have to read in a library copy, is a treasure. Weyl wrote it for a German-language encyclopedia in the 1920's and revised it in the late '40's for an English translation. It gives brief and clear accounts of Weyl's unique approaches to general relativity and quantum mechanics. He was way ahead of his time in recognizing the importance of symmetries and in taking a sophisticated geometric approach. He was particularly astute in noting important features that unified the different branches of physics (notably in the case of gauge invariance which he doesn't mention much here). His analysis of the problem of the ether is particularly lucid and stimulating as his discussion of the relationship between kinematics and dynamics. He also gives an account of the foundations of mathematics up to the discoveries of Godel. Weyl regarded physics and mathematics as essentially one, both being parts of the study of nature and thought that the same philosophical principles underlay both. He was an unusually openminded scholar who was quick to abandon an innovative but less successful approach for a better one. I don't think he would have fit in with a popular late 20th century style of doing physics that scorned philosophy, and insisted that the current generation was saying the last word on basic physical theory. Maybe that's why this beautiful, intelligent and very readable book was allowed to fall out of print. Its time to bring it back!

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1. Ebooks list page : 2413
2. Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science
3. S. G. Shanker - Routledge History of Philosophy, Volume 9 - Philosophy of Science, Logic and Mathematics in the C20
4. Philosophy of Mathematics (Handbook of the Philosophy of Science)
5. Science, mind, and the universe: An introduction to natural philosophy
6. Representing and Intervening: Introductory Topics in the Philosophy of Natural Science
7. Representing and Intervening: Introductory Topics in the Philosophy of Natural Science
8. Isaac Newton's Natural Philosophy (Dibner Institute Studies in the History of Science and Technology)
9. The Foundations of Mathematics: A study in the Philosophy of Science
10. Philosophy of Mathematics: An Introduction to a World of Proofs and Pictures (Philosophical Issues in Science)
11. Steven Horst - Beyond Reduction: Philosophy of Mind And Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science (Philosophy of Mind Series)
12. Steven Horst - Beyond Reduction: Philosophy of Mind And Post-Reductionist Philosophy of Science (Philosophy of Mind Series)
13. The Philosophy of Mathematics (Oxford Readings in Philosophy)
14. The Philosophy of Mathematics (Oxford Readings in Philosophy)
15. Perspectives on Mathematical Practices: Bringing Together Philosophy of Mathematics, Sociology of Mathematics, Education
16. Turkish Studies in the history and Philosophy of Science (Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science)