The foundational crisis in its context

Abstract

It is often acknowledged that cultural circumstances in post-World War Germany may have effected the attitude of mathematicians in the foundational debate. However, usually no specific influences are pointed out. Thus, in his recent Moderne - Sprache - Mathematik, which drew considerable attention among historians of mathematics, Mehrtens writes:³ Das Gefühl der großen Krise nach dem Schock von Weltkrieg und Revolution, damit die unausweichliche Frage, wie Sinn und Ordnung wiederherzustellen seien, erfaßten auch die Mathematiker.⁴