When we think of maths as a subject in school, we associate it with repetitive homework questions, thick textbooks, seemingly useless topics and often the most boring class of the day. However, this attitude is elementary. Maths is actually one of the most dignified and important subjects in school, and without a doubt the most universal and timeless subject.
Maths is one of the only subjects which is truly objective and abstract. What does this mean? It means that if a human found themselves in the middle of the wilderness, they could still (in theory) work out every mathematical principle that we have found. Even further, if the entire universe was destroyed, mathematics would remain just as true and relevant. There isn’t a possible reality where maths doesn’t exist. Try and imagine a scenario where 2+2 does not equal 4. It must be true, no matter the context. We call this a transcendent truth, hence maths is transcendent; it does not rely on people, places or subjectivity.
Did you know that maths is directly linked to philosophy because of this? The ancient Greek polymaths like Pythagoras, Euclid and Archimedes were all classified as philosophers. They were great pioneers of mathematics but they also explored questions of human society, politics, morality and truth. The ‘father of modern philosophy’ Rene Descartes was also a prolific mathematician. Any mathematical principle known as ‘Cartesian’, such as the Cartesian Plane was discovered by him. These people were philosophers because they were already maths geniuses. They could reason objectively about reality – about what we can actually, certainly know.
No other subject can compete with maths on this level. It is by far the most enduring area of knowledge. The advantages of maths in this respect become extremely important. It builds abstract thinking and advanced problem solving. It allows people to tie things together and find hidden answers. It reveals the underpinning principles of reality; the axioms that make up everything that exists. Students who excel in maths usually have heightened analytical skills and problem solving across a broad range of areas.
Raphael Dokos