Intuitionism

Intuitionism is a philosophical approach in mathematics that asserts that mathematical truths are not discovered but rather created through mental constructs. It emphasizes intuition and concrete examples over abstract reasoning. According to intuitionists, numbers and mathematical concepts exist only when they can be explicitly constructed or demonstrated. This view contrasts with classical mathematics, which treats mathematical truths as objective entities, existing independently of human thought. Intuitionism has implications for the foundations of mathematics, particularly in how we understand proofs and the nature of mathematical knowledge itself.