A Field Guide to Ethics in Mathematics

Abstract: Mathematics has become inescapable in modern, digitized societies: there is hardly any area of life left that isn't affected by it, and we as mathematicians play a central role in this. Our actions affect what others, in particular our students, decide to do with mathematics, and how mathematics affects the world, for better or worse. In return, the study of ethics in mathematics (EiM) has become increasingly important, even though it is still unknown to many. This exposition tries to change that, by motivating ethics in mathematics as an interesting, tractable, non-trivial, well-defined and good research area for mathematicians to consider.