Date Thesis Awarded
5-2017
Access Type
Honors Thesis -- Access Restricted On-Campus Only
Degree Name
Bachelors of Arts (BA)
Department
History
Advisor
Nicholas Popper
Committee Members
Marc Sher
Ronald Schechter
Abstract
In the early 20th century, mathematicians and math teachers became interested in the connections between mathematics and areas of humanistic interest such as philosophy, aesthetics, music, and especially history. This thesis narrates how this interest came about and explains mathematics educators' motivation and understanding of mathematics as a humanistic discipline. Math educators reacted to an attack on their subject from progressive educators who argued that math education was inefficient or useless to children. In response, math educators stressed the cultural value of the subject, portraying it as an important part of human culture and an essential subject in the school curriculum.
Recommended Citation
Leach, James, "American Education Reform and the Humanism of Mathematics, 1890-1940" (2017). Undergraduate Honors Theses. William & Mary. Paper 1066.
https://scholarworks.wm.edu/honorstheses/1066
