True, but we need to also remember that not all units are units of
physical measurement, i.e. not all measured amounts of something are
measured amounts of some physical thing. In particular, the concepts of
"Amount", "Unit" and so on are applied equally to amounts of money and
units of currency. Though you could argue that apart from the US Dollar,
units of currency are defined by some process of measurement (the rate
against the US Dollar). (01)
Therefore I would hope that the fundamental properties at the core of
this, are not prematurely committed to the physical world. Rather, there
are amounts and units, and there are physical amounts and physical units
which are kinds of these, as well as currency amounts and currency units
which are kinds of these (and all the other interesting variations we
have seen). Perhaps things like hardness would fit into that kind of
framework more easily than if we pre-commit to a physical-only view of
measurement and units. (02)
Mike (03)
John F. Sowa wrote:
> David,
>
> All units of measure are ultimately defined by some process
> of measurement. The meter was formerly defined by a comparison
> with a standard held in a vault in Paris. Now it's defined as
> a wavelength of light emitted by a certain type of atom under
> certain conditions.
>
> There is no difference, in principle, between the definition of
> 'meter' or the definition of 'standard candle':
>
> The Standard, or International, Candle is a measurement
> of light source intensity. It was originally defined as
> a one-sixth-pound candle of sperm wax, burning at the rate
> of 120 grains per hour. This intensity of light was standardized
> in 1921 in terms of incandescent lamps, and candles are no
> longer used for reference. (From Britannica online)
>
> The definition of 'hardness' by various methods is no different in
> principle from the definition of any other kind of physical unit.
>
> John Sowa
>
>
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> (04)
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Mike Bennett
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