Abstract

CAFEZEIRO, Isabel. Universality and neutrality: Considerations for decolonizing mathematics. Ciência educ. [online]. 2025, vol.31, e25012.  Epub Apr 09, 2025. ISSN 1980-850X.  https://doi.org/10.1590/1516-731320250012.

Mathematics, largely developed by a white male elite between the 15th and 20th centuries, reflects the thought patterns of maritime expansion, which often entails the exploitation of marginalized communities. Even before the 15th century, mathematics carried a colonialist (or neocolonialist) burden as European and American elites articulated it. This article offers reflections on the decolonization of mathematics. This article offers reflections on the decolonization of mathematics and this process involves understanding mathematics as a historically situated, rather than a neutral, body of knowledge. It is crucial to highlight the erasure of diverse cultures through the imposition of a single so-called universal approach, as this helps us grasp the daily violence faced by those whose knowledge systems are still marginalized today. Furthermore, this perspective opens pathways for alternative mathematical frameworks that honor different ways of living and existing.

Keywords : History of mathematics; Historicity of knowledge; Epistemology; Coloniality; Construct of knowledge.

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