An Aesthetic Representation of Alfred North Whitehead's Philosophy of Mathematics Education

ABSTRACT

This short story addresses our quest for knowledge from the perspectives of two brothers. One brother, Ali, follows the educational system proposed by Alfred North Whitehead, while the other brother educates himself through the classical method. The story is based on Lewis Carroll'sAlice in Wonderland , and begins with a romantic episode in which Ali expresses his desire to know more about infinity. At the same time his brother is reading a book - the content of which seems to change depending on the reader’s interpretation. While his brother struggles to understand a book that is more than a collection of inert ideas, Ali is guided by a white-headed rabbit into a Gabriel’s Horn passage. Here he visits an alternate reality where he learns about the true reality of life and consciousness. When he returns to his brother, Ali’s perspective is forever changed, and he must synthesize the lessons of this strange world in a life that is now extraordinary.

Keywords :Alfred North Whitehead, process philosophy, mathematics education.