Pythagoreanism, meaning and the appeal to number

Abstract

Abstract The threat of Pythagoreanism hovers over the appeal to quantification, despite Yanchar's and Westerman's calls for a liberal, interpretive view of numbers. I discuss their articles by agreeing that the distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods is of limited utility, by noting various versions of interpretation in their articles, and by pressing the need to address questions of measurement. Without a coherent measurement strategy, the use of numbers remains at best ambiguous and at worst arbitrary. Although disagreeing with a number of issues in their respective positions, I welcome this opportunity to consider the broader question of measurement and its place in psychology.