ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Aristotelian realist philosophy of mathematics

Aristotelian realist philosophy of mathematics is all about how we understand math and numbers.

Imagine you have some blocks. You can count them and see how many there are. That’s math! It helps you understand how much of something there is, and how to measure things.

Now, the Aristotelian realists believe that math is a real thing that exists in the world. They think that math is part of the structure of the world, just like rocks, trees, and animals.

So, let's say you have ten blocks. The Aristotelian realists think that the number ten is not just a concept in your head, but an actual thing that exists in the world. It's not just made up by people. It's part of the structure of the universe.

They believe that when we do math, we are discovering these real things. We're not just making them up. They already exist, and we're just figuring out how to understand them better.

In summary, the Aristotelian realist philosophy of mathematics suggests that math is not just a human invention but an inherent part of the universe that we are discovering through our thinking and understanding.