Number Concepts

This Element written for researchers and students in philosophy and the behavioral sciences reviews and critically assesses extant work on number concepts in developmental psychology and cognitive science. It has four main aims. First it characterizes the core commitments of mainstream number cognition research including the commitment to representationalism the hypothesis that there exist certain number-specific cognitive systems and the key milestones in the development of number cognition. Second it provides a taxonomy of influential views within mainstream number cognition research along with the central challenges these views face. Third it identifies and critically assesses a series of core philosophical assumptions often adopted by number cognition researchers. Finally the Element articulates and defends a novel version of pluralism about number concepts.