Hans Freudenthal: a mathematician on didactics and curriculum theory

The main ideas in the work of Hans Freudenthal (1905-1990), the Dutch mathe matician and mathematics educator, related to curriculum theory and didacti cs are described. Freudenthal's educational credo, `mathematics as a human activity', is explored. From this pedagogical point of departure, Freudenth al's criticism of educational research and educational theories is sketched and fleshed out. Freudenthal's approaches to mathematics education, develo pmental research and curriculum development can be seen as alternatives to the mainstream `Anglo-Saxon' approaches to curriculum theory.