What Is Mathematics, Really?

Most philosophers of mathematics treat it as isolated, timeless,ahistorical, inhuman. Reuben Hersh argues the contrary, that mathematics must beunderstood as a human activity, a social phenomenon, part of human culture,historically evolved, and intelligible only in a social context. Hersh pulls thescreen back to reveal mathematics as seen by professionals, debunking manymathematical myths, and demonstrating how the "humanist" idea of the nature ofmathematics more closely resembles how mathematicians actually work. At theheart of his book is a fascinating historical account of the mainstream ofphilosophy--ranging from Pythagoras, Descartes, and Spinoza, to BertrandRussell, David Hilbert, and Rudolph Carnap--followed by the mavericks who sawmathematics as a human artifact, including Aristotle, Locke, Hume, Mill, andLakatos.What is Mathematics, Really? reflects an insider's view of mathematical life,and will be hotly debated by anyone with an interest in mathematics or thephilosophy of science.

Reuben Hersh taught at several distinguished colleges and universities around the country. Now retired, he resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico.