The Ethical Turn in Mathematics Education

Abstract

This article analyzes the emerging ethical turn in mathematics education, arguing that it is a nuanced extension of the sociopolitical turn. While sociopolitical studies of mathematics have highlighted systemic issues and group concerns (e.g., equity, diversity, exclusion), the newer scholarship on ethics in mathematics presents a sharpened focus on the individual responsibility of learners, teachers, and mathematicians by explicitly engaging with philosophical ethics. We analyze key themes of the discourse, including the tension between "doing good" and "preventing harm," and present various philosophical foundations from which scholars have engaged with ethics: Levinas, non-Western perspectives, and pragmatism. We show that the ethical turn holds significant implications for training teachers, including self-reflection, responsibility towards the Other, historical and philosophical awareness, the role of mathematics in society, individual flexibility, cultural sensitivity, and courage to navigate the complex reality of today's mathematics classrooms. The article is designed to also serve as an introduction to ethics in mathematics education.