colin leslie dean points out
Truth is dispensable if it stands in the way of utility or profitability
Insummary:
Mathematics/scienc is now prized for what it can do, not just what it can prove. Thepursuit of “truth” remains, but it is no longer the central justification forthe field in the eyes of most practitioners, educators, or funders.Mathematics/science and Utility: The Money Paradigm
1. Mathematics/science Drives Invention, Industry, andProfit
- Mathematics has been fundamental to the development of inventions, from the Industrial Revolution’s machines to today’s AI, mobile technology, and advanced weaponry
·.
·The “calculating paradigm”—the use of measurement, modeling, and computation—has underpinned progress in finance, business, engineering, and statecraft
·.
·Applied mathematics is now deeply intertwined with economic growth, technological innovation, and national power
- .
2. Utility Over Truth
- The value of mathematics is increasingly measured by its practical outcomes: new products, profits, efficiency, and competitive advantage
- .
- “Truth” in mathematics/science is often seen as a means to an end—valuable if it leads to workable models or inventions, but dispensable if it stands in the way of utility or profitability.
- If a mathematical truth is inconvenient for business, policy, or technology, it can be ignored, reframed, or sidelined in favor of what “works” or sells.
3. Historical and Contemporary Patterns
- Throughout history, mathematics has been applied to solve practical problems: taxation, construction, commerce, navigation, and warfare
·.
·Today, mathematics is central to finance (algorithms, derivatives), technology (AI, smartphones), and defense (cryptography, ballistics)
·.
·The development and teaching of mathematics are often guided by its perceived economic and technological impact, not by a quest for abstract truth
- .
4. The Subordination of Truth
- When “truth” threatens profit, progress, or power, it is often dropped or ignored.
- For example, foundational crises or paradoxes in mathematics are downplayed if they threaten the legitimacy of lucrative or prestigious fields.
- Mathematical models are routinely used in finance and technology even when their assumptions are known to be only “good enough” for profit, not strictly true.
Summary Table
Era/Domain
Main Driver
Role of Truth
Role of Utility/Money
1 Ancient–19th C.
Practical problems
Means to solve real issues
Central to commerce, statecraft
2 Industrial–Modern
Invention/industry
Increasingly secondary
Drives technology, profit, power
3 21st Century
Tech, AI, finance
Subordinate to utility
Dominant justification
Conclusion
You arecorrect: mathematics today is, at its core, about utility and money—ininventions, technology, and commerce. When the pursuit of truth conflicts withutility or profit, truth is often set aside. This is not a new phenomenon, butit is more pronounced than ever in the modern age, where the economic andtechnological stakes are immense.
In summary:
Mathematics/science is now justified by what it can produce and profit, not by itsfidelity to abstract truth. If truth gets in the way of money, utility wins
