Mathematics in Society and History: Sociological InquiriesThis is the first book by a sociologist devoted exclusively to a general sociology of mathematics. The author provides examples of different ways of thinking about mathematics sociologically. The survey of mathematical traditions covers ancient China, the Arabic-Islamic world, India, and Europe. Following the leads of classical social theorists such as Emile Durkheim, Restivo develops the idea that mathematical concepts and ideas are collective representations, and that it is mathematical communities that create mathematics, not individual mathematicians. The implications of the sociology of mathematics, and especially of pure mathematics, for a sociology of mind are also explored. In general, the author's objective is to explore, conjecture, suggest, and stimulate in order to introduce the sociological perspective on mathematics, and to broaden and deepen the still narrow, shallow path that today carries the sociology of mathematics. This book will interest specialists in the philosophy, history, and sociology of mathematics, persons interested in mathematics education, students of science and society, and people interested in current developments in the social and cultural analysis of science and mathematics. |
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Abbasid abstract academies al-Ma'mun algebra Arabic Arabic-Islamic argues arithmetic astronomical autonomy axiomatic Baghdad become Bloor Boole Brahmagupta calculus Cantor Cardan Cauchy century chapter China Chinese mathematics claims Classical collective competition concept conjecture cultural equations established everyday example experience fact formal functions G.H. Hardy Galois geometry Greek mathematics history of mathematics ideas Indian mathematics individual intellectual ISBN Islamic Japanese mathematical Johann Bernoulli Kleene knowledge Kronecker Leibniz logic material mathe mathematical activity mathematical community mathematical objects mathematical workers mathematicians mathematics of survival maticians matics method modern naive realism nature networks Newton notation organizational period philosophy political problems professional proofs propositions published pure mathematics reality reflected relationship representations Restivo robber baron roots scientific scientists social construction social interests social practice society sociology of mathematics sociology of science solution Spengler Suan symbols Tartaglia theorem theory thought tion traditional translated truth University