SUO: Re: Proposed SUO Content Outline

["John F. Sowa" <sowa@bestweb.net>]

I agree with Jon's point:

>The problem is not writing the axioms --
>the problem is drawing the consequences.

But I would add the more difficult problem of trying to decide
which axioms have consequences that can peacefully coexist with
the consequences of all the other axioms in the very big SUO
pot.  By the phrase "peacefully coexist", I would include an
enormous number of related problems:

 1. Do they make the same or somehow reconcilable assumptions?

 2. Among those assumptions are the basic coordinate systems,
    such as spherical for the earth as a whole, but rectangular
    for any reasonably small piece of the earth.  (And who
    decides what is reasonable?)

 3. And while we are talking about coordinate systems, should
    we choose the center of the earth as the origin?  Or should
    we use the average sea level as the zero point?

 4. But anything relative to the earth is definitely not an
    "inertial coordinate system" in Einstein's terms.  Why not
    do everything relative to the sun?  Or to the center of
    the Milky Way galaxy?  Or to the center of gravity of the
    universe as a whole (as Ernst Mach suggested)?

 5. Or should we state our axioms in a way that is independent
    of any coordinate system whatever?

 6. Or perhaps we should make them easily tailorable to any
    particular coordinate system that is relative to the object
    of interest?

 7. Or maybe all of the above?

John Sowa