Gerrit Mannoury
Encyclopedia
Gerrit Mannoury was a Dutch
philosopher and mathematician
, professor at the University of Amsterdam and communist, known as the central figure in the signific circle
, a Dutch counterpart of the Vienna circle
.
. On 8 August 1907 he married Elizabeth Maria Berkelbach van der Sprenkel, with whom he had three daughters and a son, Jan Mannoury. His father Gerrit Mannoury, a sea-captain, had died in China when he was three years old. He attended the Hoogere Burger School
(HBS) in Amsterdam, where he graduated in 1885. The same year he received a Teacher's Degree in Accounting and in Mechanics. In 1902 he also received a Teacher's Degree in Mathematics. Mannoury was a self-educated mathematician. Because he was a teacher he couldn't attend lessons at the University of Amsterdam. He did receive privat lessons from Diederik Korteweg
. He was awarded a PhD in Mathematics late in life, in 1946, with L.E.J. Brouwer as his promotores.
Mannoury started working in primary education
in Amsterdam
, Bloemendaal
and Helmond
. In 1910 he started teaching at the Hoogere Burger School (HBS) at Vlissingen. In 1902 he had been appointed Privatdozent
at the University of Amsterdam and in 1917 he was made professor there. He retired in 1937). He lectured on the philosophy of mathematics, and on mechanics, analytics and descriptive and projective geometry.
Mannoury was, with Diederik Korteweg
, one of the most important teachers of Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer
at Amsterdam University, Mannoury especially philosophically. The first appearance of the names "formalism" and "intuitionism
" in Brouwer's writings, were in a review of Gerrit Mannoury's book Methodologisches und Philosophisches zur Elementar-Mathematik (Methodological and philosophical remarks on elementary mathematics) from 1909. Two other Dutch scientists he inspired were philosopher and logician Evert W. Beth and psychologist Adriaan de Groot
.
. He was also inspired by the work of Friedrich Nietzsche
, Baruch Spinoza
, the French mathematician philosopher of science Henri Poincaré
and the English positivism of Bertrand Russell
. Mannoury combined a logical-mathematical way of thinking with a deep insight into the human soul.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
philosopher and mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
, professor at the University of Amsterdam and communist, known as the central figure in the signific circle
Significs
Significs is a linguistic and philosophical term introduced by Victoria, Lady Welby in the 1890s. It was later adopted by the Dutch Significs Group of thinkers around Frederik van Eeden, which included L. E. J...
, a Dutch counterpart of the Vienna circle
Vienna Circle
The Vienna Circle was an association of philosophers gathered around the University of Vienna in 1922, chaired by Moritz Schlick, also known as the Ernst Mach Society in honour of Ernst Mach...
.
Biography
Gerrit Mannoury was born on 17 May 1867 in Wormerveer, and died on 30 January 1956 in AmsterdamAmsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
. On 8 August 1907 he married Elizabeth Maria Berkelbach van der Sprenkel, with whom he had three daughters and a son, Jan Mannoury. His father Gerrit Mannoury, a sea-captain, had died in China when he was three years old. He attended the Hoogere Burger School
Hogere burgerschool
The Hogere burgerschool or HBS was a secondary school type in the Netherlands, existing between 1863 and 1974. The school, with a five or sometimes six year program, was continued in 1968 as havo and vwo. The last hbs diplomas were given out in 1974.-External links:*...
(HBS) in Amsterdam, where he graduated in 1885. The same year he received a Teacher's Degree in Accounting and in Mechanics. In 1902 he also received a Teacher's Degree in Mathematics. Mannoury was a self-educated mathematician. Because he was a teacher he couldn't attend lessons at the University of Amsterdam. He did receive privat lessons from Diederik Korteweg
Diederik Korteweg
Diederik Johannes Korteweg was a Dutch mathematician. He is now remembered as the joint discoverer of the Korteweg–de Vries equation.-Early life and education:...
. He was awarded a PhD in Mathematics late in life, in 1946, with L.E.J. Brouwer as his promotores.
Mannoury started working in primary education
Primary education
A primary school is an institution in which children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as primary or elementary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational,...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
and Helmond
Helmond
Helmond is a municipality and a city in the province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands.- Quarters and Neighbourhoods :*Quarter 11 Inner City**Neighbourhood 0 Centrum**Neighbourhood 2 Leonardus**Neighbourhood 3 Heipoort...
. In 1910 he started teaching at the Hoogere Burger School (HBS) at Vlissingen. In 1902 he had been appointed Privatdozent
Privatdozent
Privatdozent or Private lecturer is a title conferred in some European university systems, especially in German-speaking countries, for someone who pursues an academic career and holds all formal qualifications to become a tenured university professor...
at the University of Amsterdam and in 1917 he was made professor there. He retired in 1937). He lectured on the philosophy of mathematics, and on mechanics, analytics and descriptive and projective geometry.
Mannoury was, with Diederik Korteweg
Diederik Korteweg
Diederik Johannes Korteweg was a Dutch mathematician. He is now remembered as the joint discoverer of the Korteweg–de Vries equation.-Early life and education:...
, one of the most important teachers of Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer
Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer
Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer FRS , usually cited as L. E. J. Brouwer but known to his friends as Bertus, was a Dutch mathematician and philosopher, a graduate of the University of Amsterdam, who worked in topology, set theory, measure theory and complex analysis.-Biography:Early in his career,...
at Amsterdam University, Mannoury especially philosophically. The first appearance of the names "formalism" and "intuitionism
Intuitionism
In the philosophy of mathematics, intuitionism, or neointuitionism , is an approach to mathematics as the constructive mental activity of humans. That is, mathematics does not consist of analytic activities wherein deep properties of existence are revealed and applied...
" in Brouwer's writings, were in a review of Gerrit Mannoury's book Methodologisches und Philosophisches zur Elementar-Mathematik (Methodological and philosophical remarks on elementary mathematics) from 1909. Two other Dutch scientists he inspired were philosopher and logician Evert W. Beth and psychologist Adriaan de Groot
Adriaan de Groot
Adrianus Dingeman de Groot was a Dutch chess master and psychologist, who conducted some of the most famous chess experiments of all time in the 1940s-60...
.
Work
Mannoury's main inspirations were G. W. F. Hegel, G.J.P.J. Bolland and F. H. BradleyF. H. Bradley
Francis Herbert Bradley, OM, was a British idealist philosopher.- Life :Bradley was born at Clapham, Surrey, England . He was the child of Charles Bradley, an evangelical preacher, and Emma Linton, Charles's second wife. A. C. Bradley was his brother...
. He was also inspired by the work of Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche was a 19th-century German philosopher, poet, composer and classical philologist...
, Baruch Spinoza
Baruch Spinoza
Baruch de Spinoza and later Benedict de Spinoza was a Dutch Jewish philosopher. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death...
, the French mathematician philosopher of science Henri Poincaré
Henri Poincaré
Jules Henri Poincaré was a French mathematician, theoretical physicist, engineer, and a philosopher of science...
and the English positivism of Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Russell
Bertrand Arthur William Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, OM, FRS was a British philosopher, logician, mathematician, historian, and social critic. At various points in his life he considered himself a liberal, a socialist, and a pacifist, but he also admitted that he had never been any of these things...
. Mannoury combined a logical-mathematical way of thinking with a deep insight into the human soul.
Publications
Mannoury was a prolific and polymathic writer who published books, articles, reviews, and pamphlets.- 1903. Over de beteekenis der wiskundige logica voor de philosophie
- 1907. Het Boeddhisme: Overzicht van leer en geschiedenis
- 1909. Methodologisches und Philosophisches zur Elementar-Mathematik
- 1910. Methodologiese aantekeningen over het dubbel-boekhouden
- 1917. Over de betekenis van de wiskundige denkvorm, Inaugural lecture held at the University of Amsterdam, 8 Oct 1917.
- 1919. Wiskunst, filosofie en socialisme: overdrukken
- 1925. Mathesis en mystiek: Een signifiese studie van kommunisties standpunt
- 1927. Willen en weten: overdrukken
- 1930. Heden is het keerpunt: een onuitgesproken verdedigingsrede
- 1931. Woord en gedachte: een inleiding tot de signifika, inzonderheid met het oog op het onderwijs in de wiskunde
- 1938. Zur Enzyklopädie der Einheitswissenschaft. Vorträge, with Otto NeurathOtto NeurathOtto Neurath was an Austrian philosopher of science, sociologist, and political economist...
, E. BrunswikEgon BrunswikEgon Brunswik was a psychologist who made contributions to functionalism and the history of psychology.-Early life and career:...
, C. Hull, and J. Woodger. - 1946. Relativisme en dialektiek: schema ener filosofisch-sociologische grondslagenleer
- 1947. Les fondements psycho-linguistiques des mathématiques
- 1947. Handboek der analytische significa, deel I: Geschiedenis der begripskritiek
- 1948. Handboek der analytische significa, deel II: Hoofdbegrippen en methoden der significa: Ontogenese en fylogenese van het verstandshoudingsapparaat
- 1948. De dood als zegepraal : opstellen over de massa-edukatieve zijde van het doodstrafprobleem
- 1949. Signifika: een inleiding
- 1953, Polairpsychologische begripssynthese
Further reading
- Luc Bergmans (2005). "Gerrit Mannoury and his Fellow Significians on Mathematics and Mysticism". In: Mathematics and the Divine : A Historical study. T. Koetsier and L. Bergmans (ed.). Inc NetLibrary.
- D. van Dantzig (1957). "Gerrit Mannoury's significance for mathematics and its foundation" In: Nieuw Archief voor Wiskunde.
- Jan H. Stegeman (1992). Gerrit Mannoury: A Bibliography. Tilburg University Press. ISBN 903619685X
- Schmitz, H.W. (1987). "Mannoury and Brouwer : Aspects of Their Relationship and Cooperation in In Memory of Gerrit Mannoury II.". In: Methodology and Science. 1987, vol. 20, no1, pp. 40-62 (2 p. 1/2).
- Pieter Wisse Mannoury's significs, or a philosophy of communal individualism