Category theory: The language of mathematics

Philosophy of Science 66 (3):27 (1999)
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Abstract

In this paper I argue that category theory ought to be seen as providing the language for mathematical discourse. Against foundational approaches, I argue that there is no need to reduce either the content or structure of mathematical concepts and theories to the constituents of either the universe of sets or the category of categories. I assign category theory the role of organizing what we say about the content and structure of both mathematical concepts and theories. Insofar, then, as the structuralist sees mathematics as talking about structures and their morphology, I contend that category theory furnishes a framework for mathematical structuralism

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2009-01-28

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Elaine Landry
University of California, Davis

References found in this work

Introduction to Higher Order Categorical Logic.J. Lambek & P. J. Scott - 1989 - Journal of Symbolic Logic 54 (3):1113-1114.
The uses and abuses of the history of topos theory.Colin Mclarty - 1990 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 41 (3):351-375.
Category theory and the foundations of mathematics.J. L. Bell - 1981 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 32 (4):349-358.
What is required of a foundation for mathematics?John Mayberry - 1994 - Philosophia Mathematica 2 (1):16-35.
Structural relativity.Michael Resnik - 1996 - Philosophia Mathematica 4 (2):83-99.

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