First class on Thinking About Infinity

THINKING ABOUT INFINITY “The definitive clarification of the nature of the infinite, instead of pertaining just to the sphere of specialized scientific interests, is needed for the dignity of the human intellect itself.” –David Hilbert Syllabus: W 5 Sept Introduction: Dickinson M 10 Sept Borges: “Library of Babel" “The Aleph" Leonardo da Vinci (in class distribution) W 12 Sept Hilbert: “On the Infinite,” (Latte) Borges, Early Greek Philosophers [EGP], Chapter 3 M 17 Sept NO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah) W 19 Sept Russell: “Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy” (Latte) EGP, 9-11 Th 20 Sept EGP, 9-11 (Brandeis Monday) M 24 Sept Aristotle (Latte), Poincaré: “On the Nature of Mathematical Reasoning” (Latte) W 26 Sept NO CLASS (Yom Kippur) M 1 Oct NO CLASS (Sukkot) W 3 Oct Aristotle, Augustine, Confessions Books: 1-4 M 8 Oct NO CLASS (Shmini Atzeret) T 9 Oct Augustine, Confessions, Book: 11 W 10 Oct Shakespeare: Macbeth M 15 Oct Macbeth, Tennyson: “Tithonus” W 17 Oct Pascal: Pensées, nos. 47, 68, 113, 131, 147-66, 198-201, 220, 271, 373, 418, 420, 427, 564, 597-99, 653, 682, 688, 721-23, 919 M 22 Oct Pascal W 24 Oct Tucker: “Prisoner’s Dilemma” (Latte) FIRST PAPER DUE M 29 Oct Joyce: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man W 31 Oct Portrait M 5 Nov Descartes: Meditations W 7 Nov Descartes, Lem “Non Serviam” (Latte) M 12 Nov William Gibson: Neuromancer W 14 Nov Gibson M 19 Nov Kant on space and time W 21 Nov NO CLASS (Thanksgiving) Th 22 Nov NO CLASS M 26 Nov Kant W 28 Nov Shelley: Mt. Blanc M 3 Dec Shelley W 5 Dec EGP 5-6, Smolin “Atoms of Space and Time” M 10 Dec Aaronson: “Who Can Name the Bigger Number?” W 12 Dec Review of Cantor SECOND PAPER DUE The Brain -- is wider than the Sky -- For -- put them side by side -- The one the other will contain With ease -- and You -- beside The Brain is deeper than the sea -- For -- hold them -- Blue to Blue -- The one the other will absorb -- As Sponges -- Buckets -- do -- The Brain is just the weight of God -- For -- Heft them -- Pound for Pound -- And they will differ -- if they do -- As Syllable from Sound -- --Emily Dickinson