This paper takes a critical look at the conception of John Rawls' original position and illustrates how the conditions for knowledge, and the limitations thereof, set up by the original position...Show moreThis paper takes a critical look at the conception of John Rawls' original position and illustrates how the conditions for knowledge, and the limitations thereof, set up by the original position and the veil of ignorance, are not specific enough to avoid running into the problem of mathematical, semantic, and logical indeterminacyShow less
In his dialogue Meno, Plato compares the finding of a mathematical theorem (that of “doubling the square”) to an initiation into the mysteries, and to other decidedly unscientific phenomena such as...Show moreIn his dialogue Meno, Plato compares the finding of a mathematical theorem (that of “doubling the square”) to an initiation into the mysteries, and to other decidedly unscientific phenomena such as the remigration of souls, remembrance (anamnêsis), and divine madness. The present MA-thesis explains how this comparison between mathematics and the mysterious is not simply allegorical, but issues from Socrates’ peculiar treatment of mathematics, which does not follow the axiomatic-deductive method and order of rigorous proof, but seizes on misleading thought tendencies, the apparent transparency of colloquial Greek, opaque features of diagrams (especially concerning the constructibility of √2), and the avoidance of technical vocabulary.Show less
In his posthumously published "Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics" Ludwig Wittgenstein devotes a small section on the First Incompleteness Theorem by Kurt Gödel. This remarks have been...Show moreIn his posthumously published "Remarks on the Foundations of Mathematics" Ludwig Wittgenstein devotes a small section on the First Incompleteness Theorem by Kurt Gödel. This remarks have been harshly criticized by early commentators, who have accused Wittgenstein of lacking understanding of the topic. In this thesis Wittgenstein's remarks are reevaluated and compared with other remarks on the topic, which are scattered throughout his published works and his Nachlass. It turns out that Wittgenstein wasn't actually commenting on the mathematical aspects of the Theorem, but that his critique is about the conceptual and metaphysical aspects of Gödel's work.Show less
Bachelor thesis | Griekse en Latijnse taal en cultuur (BA)
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De Politeia van Plato bevat een saillant detail over de opvoeding van de heersers van de ideale staat. De filosoofkoningen-in-spé moeten zich namelijk tien jaar lang bezighouden met wiskunde,...Show moreDe Politeia van Plato bevat een saillant detail over de opvoeding van de heersers van de ideale staat. De filosoofkoningen-in-spé moeten zich namelijk tien jaar lang bezighouden met wiskunde, alvorens ze zich aan de dialectiek mogen wagen. Deze scriptie zoekt uit waarom dat zo is en behandelt daarvoor de twee belangrijkste kampen binnen de secundaire literatuur over dit onderwerp: de visie dat wiskunde niet meer is dan een voorbereiding op dialectiek en de gedachte dat wiskunde ook op zichzelf goed is.Show less
Previous research shows that the development of executive functioning (EF) is highly influenced by genetic and environmental conditions, and that children's executive functioning is linked to their...Show morePrevious research shows that the development of executive functioning (EF) is highly influenced by genetic and environmental conditions, and that children's executive functioning is linked to their school achievement. Few studies have been conducted to evaluate the influence of executive functioning on science skills. The present study examined the link between inhibition, cognitive flexibility, working memory and planning skills of 104 children (mean age 5.8 years, SD 0.8) on their school achievement in language, mathematics and science skills. Math and language scores were collected from the national curriculum test and science skills were assessed with a pencil-and-paper task. The child's EF was assessed with computer tasks (ANT) and a pencil-and-paper task, as well as with questionnaires filled out by the primary. Hierarchical regression analyses, controlled for age, revealed that working memory scores of the child (measured with the ANT and BRIEF) are associated with scores on language and science skills. Results also showed a relation between inhibition and language skills. Contrary to our predictions, no significant results were found for the child's executive functions and mathematic achievement. Based on the results of the current study, it is recommended that as soon as indications of stagnating development of the child can be found, training should be initiated.Show less
In the current study the main goal is to point out how parents of pre-schoolers encounter the subject of Math at home. Eighty eight Greek parents of pre-school children filled in a questionnaire...Show moreIn the current study the main goal is to point out how parents of pre-schoolers encounter the subject of Math at home. Eighty eight Greek parents of pre-school children filled in a questionnaire with several questions referring to topics like the frequency with which they engage in numeracy activities at home or their academic expectations for their child. The main findings indicate that gender of the child does not play a significant role on the academic expectations that their parents have for them before entering Kindergarten. However, those expectations are positively correlated to the frequency that number activities occurred at home.Show less
