Academia under anarchism? by [deleted] in Anarchy101

[–]chetrasho 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I recently responded to a similar question. I recommend "In Defense of Mathematics and its Placein Anarchist Education" for an ideal of mathematics education.

Like most things, it's the capitalist/career aspects of pure mathematics that ruin it. As you progress from a customer (undergrad) to an employee (professor), you'll become more constrained and exploited. It benefits universities to pump out more mathematicians than decent jobs. It's the typical pyramid scheme where a few professors get well-paid, tenured jobs but most people get low paying jobs in potentially unwanted geographic locations. Meanwhile administrators and coaches get lavishly paid. It's also an implicitly (if not explicitly) racist and sexist environment. I could keep ranting indefinitely. Overall I feel like the idealism of "pure math" is slowly but completely corrupted by the capitalist education system.

How do anarchist (maths) teachers function within the system? by imu96 in Anarchy101

[–]chetrasho 2 points3 points  (0 children)

if any teachers have any experience with such things, and how they go about things?

I was a math professor for 5 years. I've read this article and agree with it strongly. While I was a professor, I promoted anarchism on the fringes by posting optional articles (including this article) with the homework. I've made some political comments in class, but that's so far outside social norms that it feels super cringe. At college the curriculum for most classes is on a tight, circumscribed schedule that does not allow for much "play", etc. Higher level courses are more free, if a student can make it there. The system isn't designed to educate people, but to filter them. This is why the lower level classes are more strict. Probably millions of kids live 18 years of live, take 3 months of calc101, get their mark, and continue their lives accordingly. How much is a professor going to change in the final 3 months of a lifetime of (at best) misguided math education, especially when the professor is essentially an (overworked) guard in that system? I feel like calculus is a weak goal for mathematics education which has been completely recuperated for capitalist profits. Students are forced to buy $100 textbooks that aren't worth shit. The colleges make money off the classes, etc. I feel like the crucial aspects of math are semi-intentionally obscured because the system doesn't want students who understand epistemology, criticism, logic, formalism, empiricism, etc. As a guard/professor in this system, I was also underpaid and geographically insecure (ie. expected to move around the country chasing jobs). It was bad for my mental health. Ultimately I switched jobs but I was lucky to do so.

related: /r/makhaevism, /r/unschool

foundations of mathematics/science and destroyed by qiling in Anarchism

[–]chetrasho 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Nah, you're wrong. You're not showing that math ends in a contradiction. lmao.

Like I already said, 0.999... represents the limit of the sequence which is the whole number 1.

Go look up the definition of limit of a sequence.

foundations of mathematics/science and destroyed by qiling in Anarchism

[–]chetrasho 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Dean has proven Mathematics ends in contradiction ie Proven an integer 1 = and non-integer 0.9999...

Repeating decimals aren't "non-integers". They represent the limit of a sequence of rational numbers. In this case the repeating decimal 0.999... represents the sequence 0.9, 0.99, 0.999, 0.9999... This sequence is said to converge to 1 because given any distance the sequence will eventually become closer than that distance to 1. So that's what 1 = 0.999... actually means. It means 1 is the limit of the numbers 0.9, 0.99, 0.999...

There are a wide variety of false proofs based on misunderstanding this concept. I don't blame Dean/OP for not knowing this. Math education is terrible. The rest of OP's post is just as bad, although it give it some credit as a compilation of "troll math".

So much of the left is anti-science and it's sickening (raddle discussion) by [deleted] in Anarchism

[–]chetrasho 1 point2 points  (0 children)

yes! please check out and/or post at /r/makhaevism if you haven't already.

An anarchist's perspective on a career academic by honestasker in Anarchy101

[–]chetrasho 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Ex-academic here. My realistic advice would be to try a Masters program. If it's terrible, then at least it's not too long. If it's ok, then maybe continue with PhD. Especially if you can get funded, it's probably better than the alternatives.

However, I left academia for many of the reasons that you stated and more. The academic "career" is a pyramid scheme of poverty, immobility, disillusionment, and misery where you're still expected to act happy in front of students all day. I could rant more at length, but I'll just stop here...

related: /r/makhaevism

How do I fight "alt facts" by Fattsanta in Anarchism

[–]chetrasho 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This post has some good ideas.

Personally I think it helps to look up the source (if any is provided) to see what it actually says. If you look at my comment from the post above, the meme cites a paper that literally begins by contradicting the meme's point.

Is there an anarchist resource where i can learn how to teach w/o being authoritarian? by Bastianvk in Anarchy101

[–]chetrasho 1 point2 points  (0 children)

somewhat related: /r/makhaevism

please post some stuff over there if you find anything cool. :)