Discussing Ethnomathematics: Is Mathematics Culturally Dependent?

Starting with its presentation by Ubiritan D’Ambrosio, ethnomathematics has been a prominent sub field of mathematics education research. In this paper, I will first discuss how different researchers, who study ethnomathematics, define it. Second, I will summarize the ideas, philosophies and stances ethnomathematicians share. I will then critique the thesis presupposing mathematics is culturally dependent, which is shared by most researchers studying ethnomathematics. I will name this thesis as the Cultural Relativity Thesis (CRT). My counter thesis to CRT that I name as Culturally Independence Thesis (CIT), presupposing the cultural independency and universality of mathematics, will be detailed in four aspects: etymological, socio-pedagogical, historical-anthropological and in terms of the universal applicability of mathematics.