Mary Tiles (born 1946) is a philosopher and historian of mathematics and science. From 2006 until 2009, she served as chair of the philosophy department of the

University of Hawaii at Manoa A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

. She retired in 2009.

Life

Bristol University , mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'') , established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter , type ...

, Tiles obtained her

B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in philosophy and mathematics in 1967, and her

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

in philosophy in 1973, followed by a B.Phil. in philosophy in 1974 at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

and a

M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1978 at

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

. After positions as lecturer and visiting associate professor at different institutions, Tiles became associate professor of philosophy at University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1989, and full professor in 1992.http://www.hawaii.edu/phil/cvs/PDF/MTilesCV04.pdf CV at www.hawaii.edu/phil/

Work

Tiles' area of work is primarily philosophy and history of logic, mathematics and science, with a special emphasis on French contributions to this area, e.g. by

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, Catherine Jami, and

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. One of her publications is the 1989 book ''The Philosophy of Set Theory: An Historical Introduction to Cantor's Paradise''. As the subtitle suggests, it is an example of a book that treats the philosophy of mathematics as inseparable from historical concerns. Despite some criticisms, for its lack of technical detail and correctness, and for pressing the author's philosophical agenda on its readers, A reply by Tiles was published as it has been recommended as an introductory textbook for undergraduates interested in the philosophy of mathematics.

Bibliography

* with

Hans Oberdiek Hans may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Hans (name), a masculine given name * Hans Raj Hans, Indian singer and politician ** Navraj Hans, Indian singer, actor, entrepreneur, cricket player and performer, son of Hans Raj Hans ** Yuvraj Hans, Punjabi ...

, ''Living in a Technological Culture: Human Tools and Human Values'', Routledge 1995. * with

Jim Tiles Jim or JIM may refer to: * Jim (given name), a given name * Jim, a diminutive form of the given name James * Jim, a short form of the given name Jimmy * OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism * ''Jim'' (comics), a series by Jim Woodring * ''Jim' ...

, ''An Introduction to Historical Epistemology: The Authority of Knowledge'', Oxford 1993. * ''Mathematics and the Image of Reason'', Routledge 1991. * ''The Philosophy of Set Theory: An Historical Introduction to Cantor's Paradise'', Blackwell 1989; reprinted by Dover 2004. * ''Bachelard: Science and Objectivity'', Cambridge University Press 1984.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tiles, Mary 1946 births Living people Philosophers of science American historians of mathematics Mathematical logicians Women logicians Set theorists British mathematicians Alumni of the University of Oxford Alumni of the University of Cambridge University of Hawaiʻi faculty 20th-century American mathematicians 21st-century American mathematicians British women mathematicians American women mathematicians 20th-century American women 21st-century American women