num_pages: 59
description: One might think that once we know something is computable how eciently it can be computed is a practical question with little further philosophical importance. In this essay I oer a detailed case that one would be wrong. In particular I argue that computational complexity theorythe eld that studies the resources (such as time space and randomness) needed to solve computational problemsleads to new perspectives on the nature of mathematical knowledge the strong AI debate computationalism the problem of logical omniscience Humes problem of induction and Goodmans grue riddle the foundations of quantum mechanics economic rationality closed timelike curves and several other topics of philosophical interest. I end by discussing aspects of complexity theory itself that could benet from philosophical analysis.
language: English
title: Why Philosophers Should Care About Computational Complexity
publisher: MIT Press