On the nominalistic interpretation of natural languages

J. Lambek

pp. 69-78

in: Mathieu Marion, Robert S. Cohen (eds), Québec studies in the philosophy of science, part I, Berlin, Springer, 1995

Abstract

Attempting to extend the nominalistic interpretation of mathematics to natural languages, we are led to consider three classes of nouns and three classes of verbs. We find that the former trichotomy plays a prominent rôle in the early history of mathematics, while the latter provides a basic framework for our prescientific view of the world.