Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism

C 2020

Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism

MÁCHA, Jakub and Jan ZOUHAR

Basic information

Original name

Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism

Authors

MÁCHA, Jakub (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Jan ZOUHAR (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution)

Edition

1. vyd. Cham, Switzerland, The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia, p. 135-150, 16 pp. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, Vol. 23, 2020

Publisher

Springer International Publishing

Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Kapitola resp. kapitoly v odborné knize

Field of Study

60301 Philosophy, History and Philosophy of science and technology

Country of publisher

Switzerland

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

Publication form

printed version "print"

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/20:00115025

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

ISBN

978-3-030-36382-6

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36383-3_7

Keywords in English

Arnošt Kolman; Marxism; fetishism; logical positivism; mathematics

Abstract

V originále

Arnošt Kolman (1892–1979) was a Czech mathematician, philosopher and Communist official. In this paper, we would like to look at Kolman’s arguments against logical positivism which revolve around the notion of the fetishization of mathematics. Kolman derives his notion of fetishism from Marx’s conception of commodity fetishism. Kolman is aiming to show the fact that an entity (system, structure, logical construction) acquires besides its real existence another formal existence. Fetishism means the fantastic detachment of the physical characteristics of real things or phenomena from these things. We identify Kolman’s two main arguments against logical positivism. In the first argument, Kolman applied Lenin’s arguments against Mach’s empiricism-criticism onto Russell’s neutral monism, i.e. mathematical fetishism is internally related to political conservativism. Kolman’s second main argument is that logical and mathematical fetishes are epistemologically deprived of any historical and dynamic dimension. In the final parts of our paper we place Kolman’s thinking into the context of his time, and furthermore we identify some tenets of mathematical fetishism appearing in Alain Badiou’s mathematical ontology today.

Links

MUNI/A/0878/2019, interní kód MU

Name: Aspekty soudobé filozofie II. (Acronym: Krob)

Investor: Masaryk University, Category A

Citovat

MÁCHA, Jakub and Jan ZOUHAR. Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism. In Schuster, Radek. The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia. 1st ed. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2020, p. 135-150. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, Vol. 23. ISBN 978-3-030-36382-6. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36383-3_7.

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   author = {Mácha, Jakub and Zouhar, Jan},
   address = {Cham, Switzerland},
   booktitle = {The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia},
   doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36383-3_7},
   edition = {1},
   editor = {Schuster, Radek},
   keywords = {Arnošt Kolman; Marxism; fetishism; logical positivism; mathematics},
   howpublished = {tištěná verze "print"},
   language = {eng},
   location = {Cham, Switzerland},
   isbn = {978-3-030-36382-6},
   pages = {135-150},
   publisher = {Springer International Publishing},
   title = {Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism},
   url = {https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030363826},
   year = {2020}
}

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AU  - Mácha, Jakub - Zouhar, Jan
PY  - 2020
TI  - Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism
VL  - Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, Vol. 23
PB  - Springer International Publishing
CY  - Cham, Switzerland
SN  - 9783030363826
KW  - Arnošt Kolman
KW  - Marxism
KW  - fetishism
KW  - logical positivism
KW  - mathematics
UR  - https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030363826
L2  - https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030363826
N2  - Arnošt Kolman (1892–1979) was a Czech mathematician, philosopher and Communist official. In this paper, we would like to look at Kolman’s arguments against logical positivism which revolve around the notion of the fetishization of mathematics. Kolman derives his notion of fetishism from Marx’s conception of commodity fetishism. Kolman is aiming to show the fact that an entity (system, structure, logical construction) acquires besides its real existence another formal existence. Fetishism means the fantastic detachment of the physical characteristics of real things or phenomena from these things. We identify Kolman’s two main arguments against logical positivism. In the first argument, Kolman applied Lenin’s arguments against Mach’s empiricism-criticism onto Russell’s neutral monism, i.e. mathematical fetishism is internally related to political conservativism. Kolman’s second main argument is that logical and mathematical fetishes are epistemologically deprived of any historical and dynamic dimension. In the final parts of our paper we place Kolman’s thinking into the context of his time, and furthermore we identify some tenets of mathematical fetishism appearing in Alain Badiou’s mathematical ontology today.
ER  -

MÁCHA, Jakub and Jan ZOUHAR. Arnošt Kolman's Critique of Mathematical Fetishism. In Schuster, Radek. \textit{The Vienna Circle in Czechoslovakia}. 1st ed. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2020, p.~135-150. Vienna Circle Institute Yearbook, Vol. 23. ISBN~978-3-030-36382-6. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36383-3\_{}7.

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