History of mathematics and positivism in Aarão Reis’ textbooks

  • Maria Laura M. Gomes Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG).
Keywords: Aarão Reis, Mathematics Textbooks, Comte, Positivism, History of Mathematics

Abstract

The textbooks written by the positivist engineer Aarão Reis (1853-1936) have been mentioned in recent researches on the history of Brazilian mathematics education because they contain many references to the history of mathematics and to Comte (1709-1857). The article presents and detailedly comments the ways these references are included in the arithmetics (1892) and algebra (1902) textbooks, a set of three volumes written by Reis known as Curso elementar de matemática. Historical aspects of mathematics are included in footnotes, in the exposition of mathematical content and in examples and problems. Signs of positivism are present in many references to Comte and in the presentation of his conceptions about sciences and mathematics.

 

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Author Biography

Maria Laura M. Gomes, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG).

Doutora em educação pela Universidade Estadual de Campinas (da Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG).

Unicamp). Professora do Departamento de Matemática e do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educaçã.
Published
2012-02-06
How to Cite
Gomes, M. L. M. (2012). History of mathematics and positivism in Aarão Reis’ textbooks. Revista Brasileira De História Da Educação, 8(3 [18]), 69-94. Retrieved from https://periodicos.uem.br/ojs/index.php/rbhe/article/view/40814
Section
Original research