International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume 1: Philosophy and Metaphysics
Philosophy
International Congress of Arts and Science, Volume 1: Philosophy and Metaphysics
Conference proceedings; Medicine -- Congresses; Science and the humanities -- Congresses; Technology -- Congresses
So far, then, I have dwelt upon extremely general considerations
relating to the unity and the contrast of mathematical and philosophical
inquiries. I can well conceive, however, that the individual worker in
any one of the numerous branches of investigation which are represented
by the body of students whom I am privileged to address, may at this
point mentally interpose the objection that all these considerations
are, indeed, far too general to be of practical interest to any of us.
Of course, all we who study these so-called normative sciences are,
indeed, interested in ideas, for their own sakes--in ideas so distinct
from, although of course also somehow related to, phenomena. Of course,
some of us are rather devoted to the development of the consequences of
exactly stated ideal hypotheses, and others to reflecting as we can upon
what certain ideas and ideals are good for, and upon what the unity is
of all ideas and ideals. Of course, if we are wise enough to do so, we
have much to learn from one another. But, you will say, the assertion of
all these things is a commonplace. The expression of the desire for
further mutual coöperation is a pious wish. You will insist upon asking
further: "Is there just now any concrete instance in a modern type of
research which furnishes results such as are of interest to all of us?
Are we actually doing any productive work in common? Are the
philosophers contributing anything to human knowledge which has a
genuine bearing upon the interests of mathematical science? Are the
mathematicians contributing anything to philosophy?"
These questions are perfectly fair. Moreover, as it happens, they can be
distinctly answered in the affirmative. The present age is one of a
rapid advance in the actual unification of the fields of investigation
which are included within the scope of this present division. What
little time remains to me must be devoted to indicating, as well as I
can, in what sense this is true. I shall have still to deal in very
broad generalities. I shall try to make these generalities definite
enough to be not wholly unfruitful.
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