MATH 001 PZ -Mathematics, Philosophy and the “Real World.”

Institution: Pitzer

Description: Throughout history, mathematics has changed the way people look at the world. This course will focus on two examples: Euclidean geometry (which suggested to philosophers that certainty was achievable by human thought) and probability and statistics (which gave scientists a way of dealing with events that did not seem to follow any laws but those of chance). Readings and problems will be taken from three types of sources: (1) Euclid’s Elements of Geometry; (2) modern elementary works on probability and its applications to the study of society and to gambling; (3) the writings of philosophers whose views were strongly influenced by mathematics, such as Plato, Aristotle, Pascal, Spinoza, Kant, Laplace, Helmholtz, and Thomas Jefferson.

Prerequisite(s): High school algebra and geometry. Please also check the current course schedule for requirements.

For up-to-date information on current course offerings and details, please refer to the Pitzer class schedule on MyCampus2 Portal.