What is the aim of mathematics education?Current aims of mathematics education often lack the multidimensionality needed to account for a successful experience in mathematics.In this short paper, we argue for a multidimensional aim of mathematics education via the construct of flourishing.Flourishing is derived from the notion of eudaimonia, which broadly refers to achieving the "highest good," or living a well-lived life.Building on prior research, we operationalize flourishing as an aggregate of several positive affective, behavioral, cognitive, and social traits, all of which contribute to students' propensities to achieve the "highest good" in mathematics.In particular, we propose five traits which contribute to students' propensities to achieve the "highest good" (i.e., flourish) in mathematics: (1) positive emotions toward mathematics; (2) engagement in mathematics;(3) community in mathematics; (4) meaning in mathematics; (5) perceived competence in mathematics.Thus, we argue that one productive aim of mathematics education is to support students in fulfilling each of these traits, which ultimately leads to flourishing in mathematics.To supplement our theoretical stance, we offer suggestions for measuring flourishing as an aim.We close this short paper by describing the implications that such an aim might suggest for pedagogy, policy, and research.
Campbell et al. (Sun,) studied this question.