Mathematical Foundations of Alain Badiou’s Philosophy, Based on Being and Event
Subject Areas : Philosophy
Keywords: : Ontology, The Multiple, Set Theory, Axiom, Event,
Abstract :
According to Alain Badiou mathematics is ontology. This is a meta-ontological thesis; that is, it is neither mathematical nor ontological. The crucial consequence of this thesis is that philosophy is separated from ontology. So it is not no longer the task of philosophy to think of being. Instead, Badiou regards an axiomatic system based on set theory as the sole form of thinking about being qua being. In his philosophy, the traditional concepts of philosophical ontology transform and link up with set theoretical concepts. It should be mentioned, however, that being in his thought neither has a mathematical form nor is a mathematical object. Not surprisingly the most difficult part of Badiou’s philosophy is ontology, partly for the reason that to fully grasp it one must know both the western tradition of philosophy and the set theory. Moreover, it is impossible to fully comprehend the body of his philosophy without having a deep understanding of his fundamental and technical discussions in ontology. In this essay, firstly we explain what Badiou means by the axiomatic system, and then we give an account of some basic concepts of his philosophy on the basis of their corresponding concepts in set theory, in order to show that how Badiou thinks of “being” by means of mathemathics.
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