The application of Critical Theory to mathematics—examining how mathematical knowledge is constructed, how it's used, and how it reflects and reinforces power. Critical Theory of Mathematics asks: Is mathematics universal, or is it culturally specific? How has mathematics been used to justify racism (intelligence testing), colonialism (surveying), and exploitation (algorithmic oppression)? Who gets to be a mathematician, and who's excluded? Drawing on ethnomathematics, critical math education, and postcolonial theory, it insists that mathematics is never just numbers—it's a human activity, shaped by history, culture, and power.
"Math is universal, they say. Critical Theory of Mathematics asks: universal for whom? Developed where? The math taught in schools is one tradition among many—and it's been used to measure skulls, justify eugenics, design weapons. Math isn't neutral; it's a tool. Critical theory insists on asking: who uses this tool, and for what?"
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 4, 2026
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