Editing Foundations of mathematics (section)

==== Intuitionism ====
{{Main|Intuitionism|Constructivism (mathematics)}}

Intuitionists, such as [[L. E. J. Brouwer]] (1882–1966), hold that mathematics is a creation of the human mind. Numbers, like fairy tale characters, are merely mental entities, which would not exist if there were never any human minds to think about them.

The foundational philosophy of ''[[intuitionism]]'' or ''[[constructivism (mathematics)|constructivism]]'', as exemplified in the extreme by [[Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer|Brouwer]] and [[Stephen Kleene]], requires proofs to be "constructive" in nature{{snd}} the existence of an object must be demonstrated rather than inferred from a demonstration of the impossibility of its non-existence. For example, as a consequence of this the form of proof known as [[reductio ad absurdum]] is suspect.

Some modern [[theory|theories]] in the philosophy of mathematics deny the existence of foundations in the original sense. Some theories tend to focus on [[mathematical practice]], and aim to describe and analyze the actual working of mathematicians as a [[social group]]. Others try to create a [[cognitive science of mathematics]], focusing on human cognition as the origin of the reliability of mathematics when applied to the real world. These theories would propose to find foundations only in human thought, not in any objective outside construct. The matter remains controversial.