Every good mathematician is at least half a philosopher, and every good philosopher is at least half a mathematician.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the intertwined nature of mathematics and philosophy, suggesting that each discipline enriches the other.
Gottlob Frege's quote emphasizes the relationship between mathematics and philosophy. He implies that a strong understanding of mathematics requires philosophical thinking, and conversely, effective philosophical inquiry involves mathematical reasoning. This mutual dependence suggests that the two fields are not only complementary but also essential for deeper understanding and intellectual growth.
In practice
In a lecture on the importance of critical thinking, this quote can illustrate how diverse disciplines contribute to a well-rounded education.
'Facts, facts, facts,' cries the scientist if he wants to emphasize the necessity of a firm foundation for science. What is a fact? A fact is a thought that is true. But the scientist will surely not recognize something which depends on men's varying states of mind to be the firm foundation of science.
Ask most people who live in a home and have a mortgage on it whether they own their own home and the answer is almost guaranteed to be a resounding 'yes'. Yet it's the wrong answer. Technically speaking, until they have paid the mortgage off, they don't own it. Herein lies the difference between reality and illusion, between ownership and control. This confusion lies not only at the individual level, but also at the heart of government thinking.
Let's face a historical truth: we have never had a "free market", we have always had government intervention in the economy, and indeed that intervention has been welcomed by the captains of finance and industry. They had no quarrel with "big government" when it served their needs.
Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning.
Surviving - that is the other name of a mourning whose possibility is never to be awaited.
Stubborn selfishness leads otherwise good people to fight over herds, patches of sand, and strippings of milk. All this results from what the Lord calls coveting "the drop," while neglecting the "more weighty matters." (D&C 117:8) Myopic selfishness magnifies a mess of pottage and makes thirty pieces of silver look like a treasure trove. In our intense acquisitiveness, we forget Him who once said, "What is property unto me?"
God has a special providence for fools, drunks, and the United States of America.
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