Muriel Seltman facts for kids
Muriel Seltman (born March 27, 1927 – died December 2, 2019) was a British activist and a teacher who loved mathematics. She taught math, studied its history, and wrote many books. Her books covered topics like math, religion, politics, and philosophy.
Her Life Story
Muriel was born in London in 1927. She grew up in a Jewish neighborhood called Stamford Hill. She went to college at Trinity College Dublin to study mathematics and how to teach it. There, she met her husband.
In 1952, Muriel and her husband joined a political group called the Communist Party of Great Britain. By the early 1960s, they had different ideas from the party leaders. Because of these disagreements, they were asked to leave the party.
Travels and Experiences
After leaving the party, Muriel and her family traveled to North Korea. Muriel worked there as a teacher. However, she found life there boring and didn't like how much the country focused on its leader.
In 1965, they moved to China. They arrived just as a big political movement called the Cultural Revolution was starting. Muriel became disappointed with what she saw. So, in 1966, they returned to England. Later, Muriel wrote a book called What's Left? What's Right? This book shared her experiences from her travels.
Her Work in Education
In 1968, Muriel started teaching mathematics at Avery Hill College. She retired in 1981 but kept teaching part-time for another 20 years. The college later became part of the University of Greenwich.
Muriel also worked on the history of mathematics. She helped translate an old book about algebra by Thomas Harriot, written in 1631. Muriel wrote detailed notes about Harriot's work for the book. She also earned a PhD from University College London. Her PhD research was about the early history of algebra.
Although Muriel came from a Jewish family, she became a Nontheist Quaker. This means she was part of the Quaker faith but did not believe in a personal God. Even after her early political experiences, she continued to describe herself as a Marxist. Muriel Seltman passed away on December 2, 2019.
Her Books
Muriel Seltman wrote several books on different topics:
- Piaget's Logic: A Critique of Genetic Epistemology (with Peter Seltman, 1985)
- Thomas Harriot's Artis Analyticae Praxis: An English Translation with Commentary (edited with Robert Goulding, 2007)
- What's Left? What's Right?: A Political Journey via North Korea and the Chinese Cultural Revolution (2010)
- Bread and Roses: Nontheism and the Human Spirit (2013)
- The Changing Faces of Antisemitism (2015)
- Rescuing God From Religion (2016)
- Rescuing Jesus from Christianity (2018)
- Marx the Humanist (2019)
