This work investigates the historical collapse of the belief that mathematics provides an absolute, infallible description of physical reality. Morris Kline, a professor of mathematics, examines the evolution of mathematical thought from the Greek era to the modern period. He argues that the development of non-Euclidean geometries and the discovery of logical paradoxes shattered the long-held conviction that mathematics was a perfectly consistent and objective system.

Experts and historians of science frequently cite this text as a foundational critique of mathematical absolutism. Readers often note the accessible prose style, which makes complex philosophical and logical challenges understandable for those outside the professional mathematical community.