Name: An unexpected tool for understanding inequality: abstract math
Uploaded: 2019-03-08T15:47:37Z
Duration: 11 min 9 s
Description: How do we make sense of a world that doesn't? By looking in unexpected places, says mathematician Eugenia Cheng. She explains how applying concepts from abstract mathematics to daily life can lead us to a deeper understanding of things like the root of anger and the function of privilege. Learn more about how this surprising tool can help us to empathize with each other.

Eugenia Cheng: An unexpected tool for understanding inequality: abstract math

An unexpected tool for understanding inequality: abstract math

How do we make sense of a world that doesn't? By looking in unexpected places, says mathematician Eugenia Cheng. She explains how applying concepts from abstract mathematics to daily life can lead us to a deeper understanding of things like the root of anger and the function of privilege. Learn more about how this surprising tool can help us to empathize with each other.

Abstract mathematics, often seen as irrelevant to daily life, can help explain complex social issues like inequality and anger. By mapping types of privilege with the structure of number factors, it becomes clear that privilege is layered and context-dependent, not a simple hierarchy. For example, some poor white men feel excluded because their perceived privilege does not match their lived reality. Viewing society with mathematical tools can foster deeper empathy and understanding across differences.