Theos-Talk Archives (January 1997 Message tl00305)

Tom Robertson wrote:
> 
> On Wed, 8 Jan 97, Tim Maroney <maroney@apple.com> wrote:
> 
> >>I'd like to see a "formal proof" that 2+2 might not be 4, also.
> >
> >Try using base 3.
> 
> You can call the result of adding 2 and 2 anything.  That hardly means that
> the laws by which the addition is made is subject to individual
> interpretation.

	You can say that lemons are purple, but that won't make it true.
Language is a tool for representing reality in symbols, by general
agreement. Mathematics, as well, is a tool for representing reality in
symbols. Now for example, take the following: -500 = -1000. Is that
correct? If you are talking about temperature in the Farhenheit scale,
then yes, it is. Even the concept of addition is not constant: what do
you get when you add 3 to January 2, 1997? 

	Bart Lidofsky