Bolzano's Theory of Collections : A Chapter in the history of Formal ontology (P. Rusnock)

Conférence | Talk

Paul Rusnock

(University of Ottawa)

Bolzano's Theory of Collections : A Chapter in the history of Formal ontology

Source : Wikipedia

Bernard Bolzano (1781-1848) is now widely recognized for his prescient work in logic.  It is less well known that he was equally creative in the area Husserl called formal ontology.  His most important contribution there was his theory of collections [Inbegriffe], which received several different treatments in his published and unpublished writings, beginning with the of the Contributions to a Better-Grounded Presentation of Mathematics (1810), and continuing right through to the posthumously published Paradoxes of the Infinite (1851).  Bolzano's twentieth-century readers mostly tried to make sense of Bolzano's theory in terms of Cantor's set theory and Lesniewski's mereology.  But although Bolzano's theory has affinities with both of these better-known systems, it is different in its details, scope and approach.  My talk will give a general introduction to his mature theory of collections, discuss some of its applications,  and point towards some areas for future research.

Friday, March 28th, 2014

3:00pm

University of Ottawa

Desmarais Hall (55, Laurier East)

Room 8161