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 SeptIntroduction: Dickinson M10 SeptBorges: “Library of Babel" “The Aleph" Leonardo da Vinci (in class distribution) W12 SeptHilbert: “On the Infinite,” (Latte) Borges, Early Greek Philosophers [EGP], Chapter 3 M17 SeptNO CLASS (Rosh Hashanah) W19 Sept Russell: “Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy” (Latte) EGP, 9-11 Th20 SeptEGP, 9-11 (Brandeis Monday) M24 Sept Aristotle (Latte), Poincaré: “On the Nature of Mathematical Reasoning” (Latte) W26 Sept NO CLASS (Yom Kippur) M 1 OctNO CLASS (Sukkot) W 3 OctAristotle, Augustine, Confessions Books: 1-4 M 8 OctNO CLASS (Shmini Atzeret) T 9 OctAugustine, Confessions, Book: 11 W10 OctShakespeare: Macbeth M15 OctMacbeth, Tennyson: “Tithonus” W17 OctPascal: 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 M22 OctPascal W24 OctTucker: “Prisoner’s Dilemma” (Latte) FIRST PAPER DUE M29 OctJoyce: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man W31 OctPortrait M 5 NovDescartes: Meditations W 7 NovDescartes, Lem “Non Serviam” (Latte) M12 NovWilliam Gibson: Neuromancer W14 NovGibson M19 NovKant on space and time W21 NovNO CLASS (Thanksgiving) Th22 NovNO CLASS M26 NovKant W28 NovShelley: Mt. Blanc M 3 DecShelley W 5 DecEGP 5-6, Smolin “Atoms of Space and Time” M10 DecAaronson: “Who Can Name the Bigger Number?” W 12 DecReview of CantorSECOND 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