Towards a Philosophy of Critical Mathematics Education / Edition 1

by Ole Skovsmose

Overview

In Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell gives a description of different forms of suppression. We learn about the telescreens placed everywhere, through which it is possible for Big-Brother to watch the inhabitants of Oceania. However, it is not only important to control the activities of the inhabitants, it is important as well to control their thoughts, and the Thought Police are on guard. This is a very direct form of monitoring and control, but Orwell also outlines a more imperceptible and calculated line of thought control. In the Appendix to Nineteen Eighty-Four Orwell explains some structures of 'Newspeak', which is going to become the official language of Oceania. Newspeak is being developed by the Ministry of Truth, and this language has to substitute 'Oldspeak' (similar to standard English). Newspeak should fit with the official politics of Oceania ruled by the Ingsoc party: "The purpose of Newspeak was not only to provide a medium of expression for the world-view and mental habits proper to the devotees of Ingsoc, but to make all other modes of thought impossible. It was intended that when Newspeak had been adopted once and for all and Oldspeak forgotten, a heretical thought - that is, a thought diverging from the principles of Ingsoc - should be literally unthink­ able, at least as far as thought is dependent on words.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780792329329
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	06/30/1994
Series:	Mathematics Education Library , #15
Edition description:	1994
Pages:	246
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.24(d)

Table of Contents

1: Critique and Education.- 2: Democracy and Education.- 3: Mathematics — A Formatting Power?.- 4: A Thematic Approach in Mathematics Education.- 5: “Golfparken” and “Constructions”.- 6: Reflective Knowing.- 7: “Family Support in a Micro-Society”.- 8: “Our Community”.- 9: “Energy”.- 10: Intentionality.- 11: Knowing, An Epilogue.- Notes.- Name Index.