Unleashing the Inner Core of Mathematics

Mathematics has always been a part of our history and culture and even to the inner core of our souls. It is very essential in all what we had done, we do and we will do. But somehow I come to think of a query that often pops into my mind on what math is and trying to find some answers or solutions on the problem I was pondering then.

In a book I have read entitled “What is Mathematics Really?” authored by Reuben Hersh, he wanted to oppose the authors of the book “What is Mathematics” which discusses merely on the delicate description and the great deal of the content of mathematics and tells the three different main streams of mathematical philosophy: Platonism, formalism, intuitionism or constructivism. Because Hersh’s was not contented and satiated on what was written on the first book he made his two important points on what is math really and tries to expound his thoughts and ideas to be more comprehensive in a book originally made.  First, he said that philosophy must be more than an endeavour to establish a foundation for math. And second is, he pointed out that possibly more than for most subjects, references of math must be chief players in the progress of its philosophy.

According to Hersh (1999), “mathematics must be understood as a human activity, social phenomenon, part of human culture, historically evolved and intelligible only in social context.” In this statement he showed his being humanist that depicts some benchmark concerns of philosophy and mathematics which involves the subsistence of finite and infinite mathematical perceptions,  entities, verifications or proofs and the truth and the uses of probable answers to the problems in keeping an explanation on the various philosophies of math.

On his own point of view, Hersh (1999) added that there’s no requirement to look for a hidden meaning of math beyond its social-historic-cultural meaning, by pacing at what is and has been done in the community of the giants of math and great people dealing with mathematical situations in their daily living. For him the social must be added on the two standard kinds of existence discussed by philosophers which is the mental and the physical.

But honestly, upon reading the book I do find it hard to comprehend on the terms being used by the author. Anyways, as for my own insight, I guess mathematics’ straightforward definition could be answered within ourselves on how we applied it and on what we understand and learned about it in to our lives. Maybe one day we’ll just find it out and even publish a book about this great acuity. Furthermore, the book traces a few of the philosophical ideas especially the ones relating to mathematics which makes it somehow open the readers' hearts and minds that mathematical equations maybe ugly or scary but they aren't monsters or ghosts that would eat your brains and having a last bite to the tip of your toes, well maybe I could say that math is a friendly one.