Points-Debate on term Pythagorean theorem

Debate on TERM "Pythagorean theorem"

24 July 2022, 11 am, on Zoom

Contents

Debate on TERM "Pythagorean theorem"
To repeat: today's DEBATE is RESTRICTED
First step
Clarifications
Conclusions

In the opinion of this House:

"The term 'Pythagorean theorem' should be removed from our school texts
as it is nothing more than a historical fiction"

Twitter summary

Tweet part 1
Tweet part 2
Note the point: Western शब्द प्रमाण ≠ hard evidence.

To repeat: today's DEBATE is RESTRICTED

to just the TERM 'Pythagorean theorem'
(1) whether there is hard evidence for Pythagoras
or (2) his CONNECTION to the proposition named after him
and if not it should the term be removed from our school texts
as stated in the call for debate.

The most imp. aspect of the debate is about the term "Theorem"

(3) whether there was ANY axiomatic proof of the "Pythagorean" proposition (by Greeks or others) before Hilbert 1899.
If not the term "theorem" must go!
(Theorem has an axiomatic proof: class IX, NCERT text, p. 305)

Trick: FALSE history + BAD philosophy

Term "Pythagorean theorem" combines FALSE history ("Pythagoras")
with a BAD philosophy of math ("theorem").
Most people fooled: just keep attacking the history part.
The philosophy part ("theorem") more important.

Why the restriction?

Because as explained in the accompanying note
there is a systematic STRATEGY of telling a 1000 lies
to "save" that 1 lie about "Pythagoras theorem".

The strategy of using a 1000 lies

Defenders will NEVER admit term "Pythagorean theorem" is a LIE
instead will jump to further STORIES about Thales, Euclid, etc. etc.
E.g. news item in yesterday's Indian Express
Stock "proof" for all lies: Western शब्द प्रमाण (NEVER hard evidence).

A TRAP to discuss all lies at once

Discussing all 1000 interconnected lies at once
results in utter confusion, hence inaction
which: maintains status quo.
Our aim: to FORCE them to explicitly ADMIT the lie.

Today's debate about ACTION

Aim: to reach actionable conclusions:
to remove colonial falsehoods from school texts
STARTING with the Pythagorean lie.

Iceberg analogy

1000 inter-connected lies make a very complex lie: like an iceberg
Term "Pythagorean theorem" just the visible tip of the iceberg
chopping off the tip will force other parts of the iceberg (supporting lies) to emerge.

Future debates

These further lies will be taken up in future debates
one at a time.
Today's debate is just the first in a series
So, please have patience.

Alternative geometry?

If the term 'Pythagorean theorem' is removed
will it affect the actual proposition?
Will it result in an alternative geometry?
Yes, but will NOT discuss that TODAY, but LATER.

Why not?

Tweet 3
On the Indian tradition of debate
the पूर्व पक्ष must be demolished FIRST
BEFORE proceeding with the उत्तर पक्ष
(for उत्तर पक्ष see reading list on decolonisation of math).

People not familiar with this disciplined Indian method of debate

11 persons expressed a desire to participate in the debate
No one uploaded contact details or short abstract, as requested
or even whether they are arguing for the motion or against it.

Propaganda, but no hard evidence

No hard evidence for Pythagoras
or the term theorem
The propaganda ALWAYS cites Western authority.
Any war involves propaganda.

Don't trust the West

Western "experts" who support that propaganda
NOT credible, one can't believe them
any more than one can believe
a corrupt politician involved in land grab.

Trust thieves?

The West stole 3 continents: North America, South America, Australia,
enslaved African blacks
all with talk of their superiority, proved in our school texts
by using the TERM "Pythagorean theorem".

Open hour

If you still want to tell general STORIES about Pythagoras
or have comments or suggestions for FUTURE topics
we will invite them at the end,
AFTER this debate is closed.

Is this a debate or what? Where is the opposition?

In 2001 the UGC announced 16 university departments in "Vedic astrology"
IIC organized a debate with astrologers.
Raja Ramanna, Pushpa Bhargava and I were from the side of scientists
No astrologer showed up.

Astrologers ran away

afraid their lies would be exposed
But running away from debate also exposed them. Hence OUR call for debate useful.
Likewise running away from debate exposes FORMAL mathematicians as con-tricksters.
Note: फलित ज्योतिष ≠ ज्योतिष, just as FORMAL math ≠ NORMAL math.

What's the difference?

As explained in the accompanying note
term "Pythagorean theorem" used to assert SUPERIORITY of "Greeks" ("friends of Christians"/Whites/West) over all others in class IX text
AND the purported superiority of the purported "Greek" (actually church) method of proof over others.
So, the debate is really a demand to reassess that colonial teaching of White/Western superiority.

Repeat

This is NOT a debate about chronological priority
but about PURPORTED superiority of a PURPORTED "Greek" method of proof.
NOT about "who did it first", but "who did it better".
Complex issue: we proceed one step at a time.

First step

To pin down the lies in our school math texts

Q. Are there any historical FACTS about "Pythagorean theorem"
If so, can we have those facts WITHOUT 1000 other Western narratives of "Greeks", Euclid etc.?
If not let us first acknowledge and RECORD that the term "Pythagorean theorem" is a LIE.

NEXT questions (for another day) are

Who told that lie? (Crusading church)
and why? (To slip in a method of proof by authority, while saying it is based on reason.)
The lie was NOT purposeless: helped dominate
Hence, racist historians and philosophers like Kant also talked endlessly
of the SUPERIORITY of "Greeks" over Egyptians, exactly like our school text.

The next questions are about the related lies about "Euclid" etc.

But only after we have pinned down at least one
and preferably five such lies in our school text
THEN we ask: what is the alternative?
Was Indian geometry really inferior as the school text says?
Who compared the two in detail, where, and when?

Clarifications

Nothing against Pythagorean number mysticism

(Pythagoras a myth, but we hear of Pythagoreans
e.g. Christians exist, doesn't mean Christ did)

Pythagoreans (contd)

Egyptian/Pythagorean/Platonic notion of soul similar to Hindu notion of आत्मन.
But Plato's religious geometry not the immediate issue:
it was appropriated to "Euclid" by the Crusading church. (Topic for another day.)
[Also, instead of INTEGER triples, Manava sulba sutra CALCULATION has square ROOTS (unknown to Greeks)].

Plato's notion of soul ALSO similar to pre-Nicene Christian notion of soul (Origen)

I have nothing against Christianity either.
When I say "axiomatic proof a church invention".
I refer to post-Nicene CHURCH: a political entity

Difference between church and Christianity

Difference between Christianity and church
similar to difference between Hinduism and Hindutva.
Opposition to political entity church NOT against (original) religion Christianity.

Back to debate

All these complex issues will be taken up ONE-AT-A-TIME
in FUTURE debates
Today's debate RESTRICTED to "Pythagorean lie" in our school texts.

Facts vs stories based on TRUST

Do we have hard evidence for term "Pythagorean theorem"?
If not, do we agree this is a lie which should go from our school texts?
Or will be try to"save the lie" by telling a 1000 stories
all of which DEMAND TRUST in Western शब्द प्रमाण on which those stories are based.

Recap

Colonialism was con-all-ism.
A con-trickster (formal mathematician etc.) operates by first gaining your trust.
This was achieved through colonial education (which came as 100% church education)
and indoctrinated people to "trust the West".

Recap (contd)

Done in the least expected way by teaching colonial math
by declaring colonial/formal math as "superior"
as still done by our school texts
The term "Greek" was used as a MASK for the church.

Whole process starts with the term "Pythagoras theorem"

Hence, let us identify that term as a lie
and dismantle it, by sticking to FACTS and
WITHOUT getting trapped in a 1000 STORIES that can be told in support
all of which stories DEMAND trust in the West (like yesterday's Indian Express news item on Pythagoras).

Conclusions

No FACTS produced for Pythagoras or his connection
to the theorem named after him
or that it was even a theorem before 1899.
Only constant demand to trust 1000 Western stories.

Conclusions (cotd.)

Hence, let us REMOVE THAT LIE ABOUT TERM "PYTHAGORAS THEOREM' FROM OUR SCHOOL TEXTS
for it POISONS the minds of our children.

Created: 2022-07-24 Sun 14:57