Maximen III / Maxims III

Over a period of 22 years (1934-1955), mathematician Kurt G?del put down a series of philosophical remarks - the so-called Philosophical Maxims (Max Phil) - in writing. They have been passed down in 15 notebooks written in Gabelsberger shorthand. The first notebook contains general philosophical reflections, while the second and third notebooks consist of G?del's applied individual ethics. The notebooks that follow show that G?del developed a philosophy of science in which he placed his considerations of physics, psychology, biology, mathematics, language, theology, and history within the context of a particular metaphysics. Now for the first time ever, a complete, historical-critical edition of G?del's philosophical notebooks is being prepared by the Kurt G?del Research Center of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. One volume will be published yearly as part of this series.

With the notebook "Maxims III," a new section of G?del's philosophical notebooks begins. This notebook sheds light on the relationship between various disciplines - in particular psychology, mathematics (specifically logic), and theology - and their respective significance for both the thinking and working scholar and for the knowledge system. It also contains considerations on heuristics and scholarly methods. The role of fundamental or simple concepts in thinking also becomes apparent.