Chapter 2: Beyond the Representation Given: The Parabola and Historical Metamorphoses of Meanings
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Published:2015
Christer Bergsten, 2015. "Beyond the Representation Given: The Parabola and Historical Metamorphoses of Meanings", Refractions of Mathematics Education: Festschrift for Eva Jablonka, Christer Bergsten, Bharath Sriraman
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As well known, René Thom suggested that mathematics education should be founded on meaning rather than rigour. As if one could not have both. Having neither would not be an attractive option. Of course, it all depends (doesn’t it always?) on what definition is given to these terms (meaning and rigour), and what mathematics education goals are being adhered to. One also needs to interpret the claim made by Thom through its context—a presentation at ICME2 in 1972 about “modern mathematics” during the time of the “new math” and its emerging problems:
The real problem which confronts mathematics teaching is not that of rigour, but the problem of the development of “meaning,” of the “existence” of mathematical objects.
(Thom, 1973, p. 202, italics in original)
