3399

Michael Meyer

philosophy of mathematics education

2016

31

This paper focuses on an inferential view on concepts in mathematics classrooms. A theoretical framework is going to be presented which helps to analyse and to reflect on the processes of teaching and learning mathematical concepts. The framework is based on the philosophies of Ludwig Wittgenstein and Robert Brandom. Wittgenstein’s language-game metaphor and especially its core, the primacy of the use of words, provide insight into the processes of giving meaning to words. Concerning the theory of inferentialism by Robert Brandom, the use of words in inferences can be regarded as an indicator of the understanding of a concept. Together, the framework combines the role of judgements and their connections via rules in inferences in order to describe processes of concept formation.