Mathematical Formalism

Formalism is a mathematical viewpoint formulated by David Hilbert, a German mathematician in the 20th century. According to formalism, the entire field of mathematics can be reduced to a system of rules for manipulating symbolic formulas, without any consideration of their meaning or interpretation. Formalists argue that the fundamental objects of mathematical thought are the symbols themselves, rather than the concepts or interpretations attached to them. This perspective stands in contrast to other schools of thought, such as intuitionism and logicism, which offer alternative approaches to understanding the nature of mathematics.