Frege Explained

by Joan Weiner

What is the number one? How can we be sure that 2+2=4? These apparently ssimple questions have perplexed philosophers for thousands of years, but discussion of them was transformed by the German philosopher Gottlob Frege (1848-1925).
Frege (pronounced Fray-guh)believed that arithmetic and all mathematics are derived from logic, and to prove this he developed a completely new approach to logic and numbers. Joan Weiner presents a very clear outline of Frege's life and ideas, showing how his thinking evolved through successive books and articles.

Genres: Philosophy

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2004

Reviews

[Guille]

Not a bad book, but I do think for most people (interested in Frege as background, and not Frege's thought in its own terms) it would be better to just read the entry on Frege in the SEP.

[A. B.]

Good, clear explanation of Frege. Skipped two chapters on the philosophy of mathematics to come back to later.

[Derek]

Working on it now in preparation for Frege seminar in the fall...