inclusive philosophy done publicly
Why is this a philosophical issue?
There are two parts to answering this question:
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why is Gracie Cunningham and the events following her video a philosophical issue?
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why is public ignorance and perception of mathematics a philosophical issue?
"For if mathematics is a body of infallible, objective knowledge, then it can bear no social responsibility... its role in the distribution of wealth and power; none of these issues are relevant to mathematics."
Paul Ernest (1991) The Philosophy of Mathematics Education. Taylor & Francis Group. pp xii.
At its core, the ​controversy surrounding Gracie's TikTok video is about questioning authority. Mathematics is an authority in that people use mathematics to codify worth and justify actions. Mathematics is understood to be universal, absolute, and neutral - "Math doesn't lie!". Deduction is unquestionable and proofs are eternal. From "the language of the universe" to "the universal language", mathematics is the ultimate authority in contemporary (WEIRD) thought. When Gracie questioned the foundations of mathematics, she questioned mathematical authority. And questioning authority is absolutely a philosophical issue.
"Kantians and logical empiricists had doctrinal reasons for assigning mathematics a distinguished epistemological status that would elevate it above the sciences. Without subscribing to Kantian or Viennese presuppositions, however, this alleged special status of mathematics becomes simply unfounded."
As to the second part: why is public perception of mathematics a philosophical issue? Because philosophy created it.
Mathematics education is terrible. We really suck at teaching people - especially children - mathematics. How we teach mathematics is a reflection of what we think mathematics is, why we think mathematics should be used, and how we think mathematics should be done. The answers to these questions come from both personal and academic philosophy.
From the notation used, to the types of questions asked, and the methods used to find solutions - these all stem from the philosophy of mathematics. If mathematics is abstract, then mental mathematics is "more mathematical" than physical mathematics. Why is it that the first thing children are taught in (WEIRD) schools is to count in their head? Finger-counting is extremely useful and if a child can solve a problem by counting on their fingers (rather than in their head) then what's the problem? Counting was used and a solution was found. Yet teachers actively discourage children from using their fingers to count. This educational mindset persists throughout mathematics education: memorising multiplication tables, restricting the use of tools (such as calculators) in assessments, requiring students to work independently.
"The intellectual activity of those without power is always characterized as non-mathematical."
I mentioned above that part of the hostile reaction to Gracie's video was triggered by her questioning of the authority of mathematics. The use of mathematics in society is dictated by the values attached to mathematical practice. It just so happens that the values attached to mathematics in WEIRD bestow authority only to symbolically represented mathematics and if a social group did not appear to use symbolically represented mathematics they are labelled as inferior, primitive, unevolved. And we all know how the labelling of social groups in this manner has played out in history... *cough*colonialism*cough*
"Ethnomathematics … has been somewhat neglected by the mainstream mathematics community giving the excuse that it focuses on lower-level mathematics than are taught in college."