Blog Post #11: Was Pythagorus Chinese

I am so surprised that Pythagorus was not the first to come up with what we know as the Pythagorean theorem. This article opened my eyes to the impact of naming theorems after certain people. The reason I am so shocked at this, as I'm sure others are, is because we've been taught that the name is representative of who invented it. We've learned to celebrate him while ignoring others who have also invented it. I think this makes an incredible difference to our students and their learning. Not only would it be refreshing for Western culture to actually give credit where credit is due, but it would make students feel more represented. Why are all the people we learn about in the history of discovery and invention white men? Every. Single. One of them!!! Isaac Newton, Thomas Edison, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Graham Bell, and even the Wright brothers who were also given way too much credit and wouldn't have been successful without their Wright sister! I think that the overrepresentation of white men in Inventor, Science, and Math history takes away from the confidence that students could be feeling in class had there been more credit given to people from other cultures. I think that this also shows that there are so many different ways of coming to the same answer in math. New ways may still be invented, and to teach only one way in school and grade one way as correct when all methods give the same correct answer is incredibly limiting to students' imaginations and confidence. 

Hopefully more students are given access to Math History classes in the years to come and the first thing they think when hearing the words "Pythagorean Theorem" will be "did you know he wasn't the only one, or even the first, to invent this theorem?" as a way to give credit to the others. Too often it is people from western culture that are prioritized and given credit. To give others credit or rename the concept/theorem would be powerful in my opinion. It is our colonial way of thinking that often stops us from renaming things as if learning a new name is worse than having taken credit away from someone more deserving all these years. I once had a prof that said there are "no unique ideas" and to be humble about your ideas, and that's exactly what I think Pythagorus should be able to do. He's had enough years in the spotlight, now we should credit people responsibly, and continue to do so with other theorems and concepts.