COGNITIVE APPROACHES TO SINGULAR THOUGHT AND THE CASE OF NUMERICAL THINKING

IN THIS DISSERTATION, I TACKLE THE ISSUE OF SINGULAR THOUGHT. MORE PRECISELY, MY MAIN PURPOSE IS TO CRITICALLY INVESTIGATE THE GROUNDS FOR THE CLAIM THAT THERE ARE SINGULAR THOUGHTS ABOUT NATURAL NUMBERS. TO DO SO, I REVIEW SOME OF THE DEBATES CONCERNING THE CONDITIONS TO BE MET IN ORDER TO HAVE (BE ASCRIBED) SUCH THOUGHTS AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY SINGULAR THINKING IN OUR MENTAL LIVES. I CLEARLY FAVOR HERE A COGNITIVE APPROACH, WHICH MEANS THAT THE CONDITIONS TO BE MET MUST BE THOUGHT OF AS COGNITIVE, AND THE ROLE PLAYED BY SINGULAR THINKING IN OUR MENTAL LIVES AS COGNITIVE TOO. ACCORDINGLY, I ARGUE THAT IF THE QUESTION AS TO WHETHER ONE CAN HAVE SINGULAR THOUGHTS ABOUT NATURAL NUMBERS IS TO BE GIVEN A POSITIVE ANSWER, IT IS BECAUSE IT IS A COGNITIVE FACT THAT ONE CAN. BEING A COGNITIVE FACT, I ALSO ARGUE THAT AN ONTOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE NATURE OF NATURAL NUMBERS, THOUGH POSSIBLY RELEVANT, IS NOT ESSENTIAL TO SUPPORT THE CLAIM UNDER ANALYSIS.