it's as you say. it is contrived. but no more contrived than the basic integers. these are abstract systems that we have contrived in ways that are most usefu

it's as you say. it is contrived. but no more contrived than the basic integers. these are abstract systems that we have contrived in ways that are most useful to us. the natural numbers just seem more "real" because everyone in most cultures deals with "quantity" and "magnitude"