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arXiv · 2208.12756

Ren{\'e} Thom: From mathematics to philosophy

Athanase Papadopoulos
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Abstract

I discuss Ren{\'e} Thom's approach to philosophy based on his mathematical background. At the same time, I will highlight his connection with Aristotle, his criticism of the modern view of science as a predictive process, his ideas on mathematical education, his position with respect to the French school of mathematics that was dominent in his time and his relationship with the philosophical community. I will also touch upon the connections between Thom's ideas and those of Leibniz, Riemann, Freud and others. The last version of this paper will appear as a chapter in the book Handbook of the History and Philosophy of Mathematical Practice (ed. Bharath Sriraman), Springer.

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Athanase Papadopoulos. 2022-08-17. Ren{\'e} Thom: From mathematics to philosophy. https://arxiv.org/abs/2208.12756

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