[Maths-Education] values in and of maths.

[John Mason]

Carrying on with Peter Gates and John Truran's discussion:

Does E = mc^2 have implicit values?

I wonder if there might not be a confusion between the values which we
bring to reading such a statement (including our judgements of historical
events in which this played a part), and the values which were implicit in
the culture (macro and micro) in which the formula was developed?

If my conjecture that there are differences in these has any validity, then
perhaps the statement that E=mc^2 has implicit values is either confusing
or amalgamating these two (and perhaps others, such as the values implicit
in participating in an e-discussion on this issue).  It makes mopre sense
to me to look at the values of people than treating artifacts as containing
or holding the values of people who have produced or employed them.

To be really extreme, I find it hard to blame paper and pens for having
been used to sign death warrants, no matter how anti-the actions I might
be.  I certainly do not refuse to use paper and pencil because of this
history.

Now, teaching is done by people to people and so there are implicit anbd
explicit values involved.  But it does not for me follow that the content
of what is being taught is itself value-laden.

or have I missed the point?

John Mason