Meaning is one of the recent terms which have gained great currency in mathematics education. It is generally used as a correlate of individuals' intentions and considered a central element in contemporary accounts of knowledge formation. One important question that arises in this context is the following: if, in one way or another, knowledge…

Examines the relationship between mathematical knowledge and social practices of the Renaissance. Suggests that all efforts to understand the conceptual reality and the production of knowledge cannot restrict themselves to language and the discursive activity, but that they also need to include the social practices that underlie them. (Author/KHR)

Contributes to a reflection on the possibilities and the limits of a non-naive use of the history of mathematics for educational purposes. Discusses a problem related to the hypotheses that make it possible to confront past and modern conceptual developments. Contains 45 references. (DDR)