Being big is not an intrinsic
property of an object: it implies comparison with some other object.
"Being bigger than" is ordinal: i.e. if
A is bigger than B, we know merely that A is ordered
above B in terms of size. However, the possibility of comparison
also introduces the possibility of measurement: for instance, if we can
compare the length of two objects, we are only a short step away from the
invention of the ruler.
Kelvin said:
"When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in
numbers you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when
you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge is of a meagre
and unsatisfactory kind."
GO BACK