Mathematics Is A Core Subject

Posted by teacher on December 8, 2011

In several TOK presentations we came into contact with the issue of “multiple intelligence“. This theory, originally proposed by Howard Gardner has been widely recognized and familiarized by the public. Now, it is commonly accepted by many people that different types of intelligence exist: linguistic intelligence, mathematical intelligence, music intelligence and etc. So which of these ‘intelligence’ would be considered to be most important in our lives? Why would certain intelligences be considered as inferior to other intelligences?

Why is that many people would think being good in mathematics is very important? At least I have been told by my parents that being good at mathematics is very important and would help me very much in the future. But why would being intelligent in maths be useful? It has to be taken into consideration that because as humans, we learn and absorb knowledge through different ways of knowing. As a result, because we frequently utilize numbers and mathematics, maths is considered as an important subject.

Therefore, it is commonly generalized that being good at mathematics would help people alot since people absorb so much of our information through numbers. But this generalization only applies to a certain extent as it is not necessarily true in every case. Someone who is extremely advanced in his mathematical intelligence may not be more successful than a person who is only mediocre in maths. This is because usually as mathematics become more advanced, the less applicable it would be in real life.

For instance, do we use decimal multiplication more frequently or calculus in real life? Just because one is better at mathematics, it does not necessarily make him more successful in learning or in life; it merely indicates that he would have more success in using that particular field of knowledge to acquire knowledge. Thus, it has to be taken into consideration that being “overly excellent” in one particular branch of intelligence may not render a person into being more successful.