Platonism, Naturalism, and Mathematical Knowledge

Afterword

I have been largely negative as far as naturalism is concerned. But there is much to be learned from it and it is now time to say a few words along that line. We are certainly the products of evolution, and not just any evolutionary process, but a Darwinian one. Though I do not for a moment think that a simple Darwinian account of mathematics could be right, the truth, whatever it is, must be compatible with our biological origins. In this regard, I feel a bit like opponents of sociobiology who likewise accept Darwin gladly but deny that every aspect of our behaviour is the direct result of evolutionary adaptations. It may be, for example, that evolution has provided us with plastic minds and we then learn our various behaviours as ...