Colloquium: Alexander Paseau, ‘The Euclidean Program’

Boğaziçi Philosophy Colloquium: Alexander Paseau, ‘The Euclidean Program’, 17:15. Thursday 16th November.

Abstract

The Euclidean program (EP) embodies a traditional sort of epistemological foundationalism about mathematics and knowledge more generally. Epistemologists have examined foundationalism but neglected its more specific and historically dominant instance – the EP. Against this trend, Wes Wrigley and I have written an eponymous book on the EP, which is currently in production and will come out early in 2024 with Cambridge University Press, as part of their Elements series. My talk will present some material from the book. I start with a rational reconstruction of the EP’s key principles, showing it to be more specific than both epistemic foundationalism and the axiomatic method. I will say something briefly about how this reconstruction of the EP relates to historical accounts (Euclid, Aristotle, Descartes, Pascal). I will then critically assess the EP by examining how it measures up to contemporary mathematics. I will conclude with some remarks about what the EP should be replaced with. 

Location:

Boğaziçi University, South Campus, Bebek, Istanbul.

John Freely Hall, JF 507