Richard,

You wrote:

> What I am saying is that this claim only arises
> after they have been persuaded that weight is
> not a characteristic of their body but rather
> the number on the scale in their bathroom.

I think I'm understanding better. What would the child call this strange feeling they experience when thrown up instead of "weightlessness"? Would it be "presslessness?". "Again!" is what I hear young ones say when I ask them that question after catching them.

I'm very doubtful that a child's view of the universe is an appropriate basis for adult worldviews. The way things look to a child isn't necessarily the way things really are. Adults generally understand the world better than children do, although in rare cases they understand it less.

• No real argument here! - doctordick - April 7, 2001 - 00:52 UTC