The irreflexivity of Brouwer's philosophy

Mark Van Atten

pp. 65-77

in: Axiomathes 13 (1), 2002.

Abstract

I argue that Brouwer's general philosophy cannot accountfor itself, and, a fortiori, cannot lend justification tomathematical principles derived from it. Thus it cannot groundintuitionism, the jobBrouwer had intended it to do. The strategy is to ask whetherthat philosophy actually allows for the kind of knowledge thatsuch an account of itself would amount to.