From solving equations to the meaning of life: mathematics, rationality and values An essay in memoriam of Hans

An attempt is made to suggest some ultimate goals for education beyond the narrow framework of the mathematics curriculum. In addition, there is an attempt to link mathematics education to these goals by pointing at some principles which direct mathematical behavior as well as educated behavior. The main claim is that both mathematical behavior and educated behavior are supposed to be directed by rational thinking. I do not remember when I first met Hans Georg Steiner. For sure, it was at one of the mathematics education conferences in the 1970s. However, in my memory he lives as somebody I always knew: Outstanding personality, friendly, generous with huge intellectual and cultural horizons. A precious source of inspiration for so many. 1 Hans Georg Steiner: from the specific to the general There are 281 publications on Steiner’s list of publications between 1956 and 1998. Most of them are in German, which I cannot read, but also many are in English. They reflect wide range of topics and several domains of investigation. However, if I am asked to describe the direction of Steiner’s development in the field of mathematics education, I would use the titles of his first and last publications in English: From ‘‘Relations and Functions’’ (1963) to ‘‘Didactics of Mathematics as Scientific Discipline’’ (1998). On the line connecting these two points, Steiner was involved in developing new teaching materials and mathematical enrichment units, he was interested in teacher training and in pedagogical problems, as well as in problems related to the philosophy of mathematics and the relation between science and mathematics. Steiner’s development in the field of mathematics education is quite typical. It is a move from specific issues (like how to teach certain mathematical topics) to the most general issues (like the attempt to establish a Theory of Mathematics Education—TME). It is the development of quite numerous mathematics educators: they start their career with teaching mathematics. At this stage, they focus mainly on improving their own teaching as well as improving the teaching of their mathematical education circles. Growing older, they become reflective and realize that mathematics teaching might have some other goals than just covering some topics in the mathematics curriculum. They develop a global view in which it is related to general aspects of the human culture. Which aspects? The answer to this question depends on the particular person in consideration. Describing Steiner’s development in the field of mathematics education requires an extensive research which can be carried out only by scholars who have complete mastery of the German language, in addition to other qualifications required for such a research. Since this is a paper in memoriam of Steiner and not about Steiner’s heritage in the field of mathematics education, I would like to draw here an additional line of development in this field, which is similar but also different from Steiner’s way. It is similar because it S. Vinner (&) Science Education Program, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel e-mail: [email protected] 123 ZDM Mathematics Education (2007) 39:183–189 DOI 10.1007/s11858-006-0008-x