We must admit with humility that, while number is purely a product of our minds, space has a reality outside our minds, so that we cannot completely prescribe its properties a priori.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Numbers are mental constructs, but space exists independently, so we cannot fully define it from the mind alone.
- In plain terms
- Numbers are invented, space is real and external.
- What can you take from it?
- Recognize limits of purely mental models.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we reconcile mental models with external reality?
- What implications does this have for science?
Another view
The distinction may be more nuanced in practice.
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