“the question of whether we have allowed Western mathematicians to dominate in our discipline is no less relevant than whether we have allowed western authors to dominate the field of literature”
'Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.'
I gather the "decolonizers" believe Winston (Orwell) was right, and want to strike at the root.
They're already maintaining that freedom is slavery and that ignorance is strength. Just need one more for free brimstone.
ReplyDeleteIt often becomes clear when one asks the critic to define his terms about what, exactly, is male about the mathematics, rather than the mathematicians. The former should precede the latter - rather obviously, I maintain. It is reversing this order that reveals precisely what is wrong with the argument.
ReplyDelete