The Cartesian Cafe is the podcast where an expert guest and Timothy Nguyen map out scientific and mathematical subjects in detail. This collaborative journey with other experts will have us writing down formulas, drawing pictures, and reasoning about them together on a whiteboard. If you’ve been longing for a deeper dive into the intricacies of scientific subjects, then this is the podcast for you. Topics covered include mathematics, physics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer science.
Content also viewable on YouTube: www.youtube.com/timothynguyen and Spotify.
Timothy Nguyen is a mathematician and AI researcher working in industry.
Homepage: www.timothynguyen.com, Twitter: @IAmTimNguyen
Patreon: www.patreon.com/timothynguyen
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The Cartesian Cafe is the podcast where an expert guest and Timothy Nguyen map out scientific and mathematical subjects in detail. This collaborative journey with other experts will have us writing down formulas, drawing pictures, and reasoning about them together on a whiteboard. If you’ve been longing for a deeper dive into the intricacies of scientific subjects, then this is the podcast for you. Topics covered include mathematics, physics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer science.
Content also viewable on YouTube: www.youtube.com/timothynguyen and Spotify.
Timothy Nguyen is a mathematician and AI researcher working in industry.
Homepage: www.timothynguyen.com, Twitter: @IAmTimNguyen
Patreon: www.patreon.com/timothynguyen
Justin Clarke-Doane | Mathematics, Reality, and Morality
The Cartesian Cafe
2 hours 34 minutes 12 seconds
7 months ago
Justin Clarke-Doane | Mathematics, Reality, and Morality
Justin Clarke-Doane is a professor of philosophy at Columbia University, whose interests span metaethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of logic & mathematics.
In this thought provoking-discussion, Justin and I go deep into topics that are typically neglected by most mathematicians and scientists, namely the philosophy of mathematics and morality. Justin has contributed to both these areas via his book Morality and Mathematics, which takes the view that the standard position of being both a mathematical realist and moral antirealist is incoherent. Perhaps the most novel aspect of Justin's work is the treatment of the philosophy of mathematics and morality side-by-side, showing how these two topics, which are usually thought of as being unrelated, in fact have strong analogies. Along the way, we discuss many other foundational topics in epistemology and ethics, with elements of set theory, metaphysics, and logic sprinkled in.
Patreon (bonus materials + video chat): https://www.patreon.com/timothynguyen
Part I. Introduction
00:00 : Preview
01:56 : Naturalism & Mathematical vs Moral Realism
05:34 : Outline of the Discussion
Part II. Philosophy of Mathematics
13:25 : Mathematical Realism
18:36 : The Reality of Numbers
27:58 : Anti-Realist Positions in Mathematics
41:49 : Fictionalism in Mathematics
44:06 : Distinguishing Metaphysics from Epistemology
45:39 : The Role of Naturalism and Fictionalism
Part III. Philosophy of Morality (vs Mathematics)
50:24 : Moral Realism and Anti-Realism
58:31 : Analogies Between Mathematical and Moral Realism
01:05:30 : Kant's Constructivism and Ethical Contextualism
01:10:40 : Error Theory in Ethics
01:16:02 : Mathematical Realism and Moral Anti-Realism
01:17:22 : Contextualism and Moral Realism
Part IV. Select Topics from Justin's Book
01:19:11 : Justification and Self-Evidence
01:21:24 : The Practice of Axiomatization: Mathematics vs Ethics
01:24:51 : Pushback: Is there really controversy in math?
01:30:24 : Justification and Belief: Quinean Empiricism and Harman's Thesis
01:41:44 : Observations, Explanations, and Moral Facts
01:48:41 : Supervenience and High-Level Descriptions
02:00:43 : Justification vs Truth: Reliability Challenge in Mathematics and Morality
02:03:53 : 2+2 not equaling 4: Accidental Truth vs Truth per se
02:13:10 : Pluralism in Mathematics and Ethics
02:31:27 : Concluding Thoughts
02:32:49 : Correction: "relativism" should be "realism"
Further reading:Justin Clarke-Doane. Morality and Mathematics.
X: @iamtimnguyen
Webpage: http://www.timothynguyen.org
The Cartesian Cafe
The Cartesian Cafe is the podcast where an expert guest and Timothy Nguyen map out scientific and mathematical subjects in detail. This collaborative journey with other experts will have us writing down formulas, drawing pictures, and reasoning about them together on a whiteboard. If you’ve been longing for a deeper dive into the intricacies of scientific subjects, then this is the podcast for you. Topics covered include mathematics, physics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and computer science.
Content also viewable on YouTube: www.youtube.com/timothynguyen and Spotify.
Timothy Nguyen is a mathematician and AI researcher working in industry.
Homepage: www.timothynguyen.com, Twitter: @IAmTimNguyen
Patreon: www.patreon.com/timothynguyen