Figures of Thought looks at ways in which mathematical works can be read as texts and demonstrates that such readings provide a rich source of philosophical issues relating to mathematics; issues which are directly relevant to working mathematicians and which traditional approaches to the history and philosophy of mathematics have largely ignored.

Preface Introduction Part I: The Subject Matter of Geometry in Euclid, Descartes and Hilbert 1. The Opening of The Elements 2. Propositions and Proofs - Theorems and Problems Part II 1. The Contexts of Measurement 2. Number Theory in the 19th Century Appendix Part III Introduction 1. Types of Wholes 2. Generality in Contemporary Mathematics Conclusion