[asimpletune]

If you’re at a corner and someone asks for directions, you say “three blocks that way”. That means three blocks starting from here.

Then what do you call “here”?

The name for where you start from in this scenario is usually not required because it’s obvious what you mean and everyone understands the first block means you have to first walk a block, not that where you start is the first block.

So in that sense yes we have a zeroth chapter. That’s when you’re at the beginning of the first one but haven’t read all the way.

[oh_my_goodness]

Folks ... cardinal and ordinal numbers both have "just so" stories to support them. We're unlikely to eliminate either one of them today.

[zkmon]

"here" is definitely not a zeroth block. As soon you start walking, you are in the first block. However, if you are numbering the separations (cuts) between the blocks, you can number that "here" as zero.

[asimpletune]

Ok as soon as you start walking your are in the first block, I agree. So then where are you before that? What block were you at before you started moving, when you were giving directions?

What is the name of the block from which you left to enter the first block? Before you started walking I mean.

And mustn’t that block be before that other first? When we move from where we start we count up, so then mustn’t an earlier block be counting down? Counting down would mean a number smaller than one.

And are blocks not counted in units, as whole numbers?

So would it not be the case that one block less than 1 must be by necessity the zeroth block?

In other words if you agree that “as soon as you start walking, you are in the first block”, then you must also agree that before you left you began in the zeroth block.

How else could it be interpreted?