First of all, when I say “proved”, what I will mean is “proved with the aid of the whole of math”. Now then: two plus two is four,
as you well know. And, of course, it can be proved that two plus two is four (proved, that is, with the aid of the whole of
math, as I said, though in the case of two plus two, of course we do not need the whole of math to prove that it is
four). And, as may not be quite so clear, it can be proved that it can be proved that two plus two is four, as well. And it
can be proved that it can be proved that it can be proved that two plus two is four. And so on. In fact, if a claim can be
proved, then it can be proved that the claim can be proved. And that too can be proved.
Now: two plus two is not five. And it can be proved that two plus two is not five. And it can be proved that it can be proved
that two plus two is not five, and so on.
Thus: it can be proved that two plus two is not five. Can it be proved as well that two plus two is five? It would be a real blow
to math, to say the least, if it could. If it could be proved that two plus two is five, then it could be proved that five is
not five, and then there would be no claim that could not be proved, and math would be a lot of bunk.
So, we now want to ask, can it be proved that it can’t be proved that two plus two is five? Here’s the shock: no, it can’t. Or
to hedge a bit: if it can be proved that it can’t be proved that two plus two is five, then it can be proved as well that
two plus two is five, and math is a lot of bunk. In fact, if math is not a lot of bunk, then no claim of the form “claim X
can’t be proved” can be proved.
So, if math is not a lot of bunk, then, though it can’t be proved that two plus two is five, it can’t be proved that it can’t be
proved that two plus two is five.
By the way, in case you’d like to know: yes, it can be proved that if it can be proved that it can’t be proved that two plus two
is five, then it can be proved that two plus two is five.
George Boolos, 199
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