Mathematics for Human Flourishing | June 2025

Mathematics for Human Flourishing

Francis Su

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09 Jun 2025 to 25 Jun 2025

About the Book

From Yale Press:

For mathematician Francis Su, a society without mathematical affection is like a city without concerts, parks, or museums. To miss out on mathematics is to live without experiencing some of humanity’s most beautiful ideas.

​In this profound book, written for a wide audience but especially for those disenchanted by their past experiences, an award-winning mathematician and educator weaves parables, puzzles, and personal reflections to show how mathematics meets basic human desires—such as for play, beauty, freedom, justice, and love—and cultivates virtues essential for human flourishing. These desires and virtues, and the stories told here, reveal how mathematics is intimately tied to being human. Some lessons emerge from those who have struggled, including philosopher Simone Weil, whose own mathematical contributions were overshadowed by her brother’s, and Christopher Jackson, who discovered mathematics as an inmate in a federal prison. Christopher’s letters to the author appear throughout the book and show how this intellectual pursuit can—and must—be open to all.

You can learn more about the book at the author’s website.

Timings and Venue

We meet on Zoom at 9PM IST for about 60-90 minutes each weekday from June 9th to June 25th, covering one chapter per day.

Here’s a link to a WA group for general discussions and meetup reminders. Click here to join on Zoom or use the details below:

Meeting ID: 989 4728 2652
Passcode: math4HF

See you there!

Prerequisites

No mathematical background is required to participate in this reading. The book is accessible to anyone interested in mathematics education, philosophy, or the human aspects of mathematical practice.