[lustig]

This was funny! I recognize these conflicting views. The first is the view that math is a fundamental force governing nature. The second is that math is simply a way to describe the forces of nature. I tend to agree with the second view and are often dragged into arguments which has the roots in this difference of viewpoints.

[tylerhou]

I'm not sure if either of your arguments applies in this case; the argument I was trying to make is that the colloquial usage of the word "space" predates the mathematical usage, so claiming that the word "space" in a colloquial context comes from the mathematical context is inaccurate. (This is a purely historical argument and not one of philosophy.)