Co^ gia'o cua? ba'c Toa`n

[huy.duong@ctsu.ox.ac.uk]

Cha`o ba'c Toa`n,

Philosophically your teacher was right in telling you not to
take `truths' for granted. Scientificly, she did not tell you that
the `truth' about the rising and setting of the sun is not totally
arbitrary or not just a conspiracy of scientists. That this is caused by
the earth's spin and not by the sun going round the earth is consistent
with the forces that are felt, eg the difference in g between the poles
and the equator, the corriolis force that affects the winds.
Also, as there is more and more knowledge it will become impossible
for any one person to work out most of the `truths' they need from
first principles, and it will become necessary to apply many
`truths' withouth knowing why they are `true'.

Huy