Otto Hölder's interpretation of David Hilbert's axiomatic method

Mircea Radu

pp. 117-129

in: Paola Cantù, Oliver Schlaudt (eds), The epistemological thought of Otto Hölder, Philosophia Scientiae 17 (1), 2013.

Abstract

In this paper I provide a brief reconstruction of Otto Hölder’s conception of proof. My reconstruction focuses on Hölder’s critical assessment of David Hilbert’s account of axiomatics in general, and of Hilbert’s conception of metamathematics in particular. I argue that Hölder’s analysis of Hilbert’s general methodological ideas and, more importantly, Hölder’s analysis of the logical structure of the proofs provided by Hilbert in his Grundlagen der Geometrie of 1899 are helpful in reaching a clearer understanding of van der Waerden’s claim linking Hölder’s conception of proof to the tradition established by Kurt Gödel.

Cited authors

Hilbert David

Gödel Kurt

Hölder Otto