The grounded spirituality of mathematics

Tarik Aougab

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arXiv · 2610.19216

The grounded spirituality of mathematics

Tarik Aougab

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Abstract

We propose that mathematics is done largely as a means of both coping with and celebrating our physicality in the natural world. Inspired by David Abram's "Becoming Animal", we suggest that -- in opposition to the popular image of an otherworldy Platonic realm-- the spiritual component of doing mathematics is grounded on and in the Earth. We explore this as a means of questioning the widespread adoption of AI in the workflows of research mathematics.

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Tarik Aougab. 2026-10-13. The grounded spirituality of mathematics. https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.19216

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