Abstract Expressionism and the Communication Problem

Abstract

Some philosophers have recently suggested that the reason mathematics is useful in science is that it expands our expressive capacities. Of these philosophers, only Stephen Yablo has put forward a detailed account of how mathematics brings this advantage. In this article, I set out Yablo’s view and argue that it is implausible. Then, I introduce a simpler account and show it is a serious rival to Yablo’s. 1 Introduction 2 Yablo’s Expressionism 3 Psychological Objections to Yablo’s Expressionism 4 Introducing Belief Expressionism 5 Objections and Replies 5.1 Yablo’s likely response 5.2 Charity 6 Conclusion

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