Uncommon Descent Serving The Intelligent Design Community

“Western” math as a dehumanizing tool?

Share
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Flipboard
Print
Email

Well, we knew that math does NOT lead to a more interesting social life but… now get this from American Thinker:

One thing you realize when following the follies and foibles of social justice warriors is that there is no limit to their idiocies – that anything and everything can be declared “racist” or “sexist” if they stretch logic and reason beyond the breaking point.

Case in point: a course designed to teach high school kids that mathematics, as taught in the Western world, is a “dehumanizing tool” that has been used to “trick indigenous peoples out of land and property.”More.

But can anyone imagine a world without math? And how did it get to be “Western” math anyhow? Isn’t math liberating for anyone who chooses to take advantage of it?

Calling it “Western” math sounds like calling accountable government “Western” government.

Hint: If you don’t have accountable government where you live, hold a revolution and keep it going until you do. Don’t blame the “Western” world if we have accountable governments and you don’t.

Most of us did nothing to deserve that; we just happened to be born here. You, by contrast, could be part of a revolution!

See also: The Big Bang: Put simply,the facts are wrong.

Follow UD News at Twitter!

Comments
Well, maybe it could be stated that the majority academic/scholastic culture and the language and presentation by which the symmetries/proofs are expressed are currently deeply couched in "Western" culture. That's it, though. If you care to prove better, use your sociology education to set up a moon shot with "non-western" math; with "non-Western" engineered modules and "non-Western" (non-algorithmic, even!) programming languages for the control software. Really, though, my (general) experience with Chinese professors is that they've very well produced a modern mathematical culture all their own. They bring discipline along with a deep concern for student progress and even a shame dynamic that's, well, inspiring.LocalMinimum
May 29, 2017
May
05
May
29
29
2017
06:46 AM
6
06
46
AM
PDT

Leave a Reply