A thought experiment:
Two communities meet for the very first time. The Gorblaxians have a strict social edict - not necessarily enforced by a state as such, but at the very least adhered to for fear of complete social rejection -that every member of the community must give one eighth of their income to help the poor. The Jemishes have an identical edict, save for the fact that in their case it is only one sixtieth they must give.
The Gorblaxians have a mathematical system in which the default is to use base eight. The Jemishes have a mathematical system in which the default is to use base sixty.
As a member of the Gorblaxian society, would/should you regard the Jemish community as uncharitable and/or morally inferior?
A Persian Cafe, Edward Lord Weeks
No comments:
Post a Comment