ESSAY 1 Mathematical Knowledge as a Case Study in Empirical Philosophy of Mathematics

can be traced back to the (Kantian) conviction that mathematics does not depend on human experience, but is accessible to the reine Vernunft. The truth of mathematical statements and the status of mathematical knowledge according to this conviction should not depend on contingent facts about humans or human society. This view has not only left traces in philosophy of mathematics, but can also be seen in the practice of 2 · Benedikt Löwe, Thomas Müller, and Eva Müller-Hill sociology: Compared to sociological research dealing with other sciences, sociology of mathematics is severely underrepresented.1 On the other hand, some of the central questions of philosophy of mathematics have an empirical core, and some of the statements that one finds in philosophical texts about mathematics are empirical claims. For instance, consider the question of the connection between philo-sophical views and mathematical achievements. According to main-stream philosophical belief, many working mathematicians are Platon