Ethnomathematics : A Political Challenge to the Philosophy of Mathematics
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2014 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | The Future of Philosophy |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | http://oltk.upol.cz/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Zamecnik-The_future_of_philosophy.pdf |
| Field | Philosophy and religion |
| Keywords | Barton; ethnomathematics; philosophy of mathematics; mimicry; New Rhetoric |
| Description | The paper considers the future of the philosophy of mathematics in exploring its political dimension and its political potential. Political potential of philosophy of mathematics is demonstrated on the issue of ethnomathematics, i.e., a program that explores mathematical ideas that were (and are) developed in different cultural groups independently of the development of Western mathematics. The main question is: How to use the ethnomathematicians' philosophy of mathematics to achieve political goals? This question is broken down into two sub-questions, namely: What sort of the philosophy of mathematics is adequate for ethnomathematical program and for what reasons? What role does ethnomathematics attribute to the philosophy of mathematics? Ethnomathematical program challenges the supremacy of values of Western mathematics and accuses it of hegemony over cultural mathematics (in postcolonial countries). The paper investigates ethnomathematics' looking for a suitable candidate between the philosophies of mathematics which would support its program. Primarily explores Bill Barton's "mimicry" argumentative strategy and for its evaluation uses tools of New Rhetoric. Paper presents Barton's conception according to which is the view of the program of ethnomathematics compatible with Wittgenstein's philosophy of mathematics. Two roles of philosophy of mathematics are identified in Barton’s "mimicry" strategy: philosophy of mathematics as an implement of cultural hegemony and as an implement in the struggle against cultural hegemony. |
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