Dear Terry,
You’ve proposed a theory of authority based on a great many hidden
assumptions. The two cases you propose – the land-locked nation and
the circle – don’t really work. You’re assuming intuitive
knowledge or advance information on data points and inter-related facts.
Without intuitive knowledge or advance information in the form of
assumed facts, the examples do not sustain your conclusion. The proposal
is also deficient if intuitions or unexamined assumptions are
incorrect.
The example of the circle assumes advance information of the “1 piece
of data” that something travels in a circle. This is only a single
data point for Pythagoreans, Ptolemaics, or those who benefit from data
collected in advance by others.
This runs quite contrary a famous case that played a role in
overturning the “single data point” circles of Ptolemaic astronomy.
Kepler started by assuming regular geometric forms. It took years of
careful observation to reach the three laws that paved the way for
Newton.
Warm wishes,
Ken
Professor Ken Friedman, PhD, DSc (hc), FDRS | University Distinguished
Professor | Dean, Faculty of Design | Swinburne University of Technology
| Melbourne, Australia
|