ontac-dev
[Top] [All Lists]

RE: [ontac-dev] Representation of attributes

To: "ONTAC Taxonomy-Ontology Development Discussion" <ontac-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "West, Matthew R SIPC-DFD/321" <matthew.west@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 4 Feb 2006 11:07:08 -0000
Message-id: <A94B3B171A49A4448F0CEEB458AA661F02CE55E8@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Dear Cory,    (01)

> Matthew,
> I can see how you got where you are.  While identity is critical,
> considering what it really means is "interesting".  I can 
> certainly see
> concluding an identity is process.      (02)

MW: Careful. I said a process (any individual) has identity that is its 
spatio-temporal extent. i.e. if two objects have the same spatio-temporal
extent, they are the same object. The same principle applies to sets/types.
two sets/types are the same if they have the same members. (These are 4D
positions of course, and the former at least is not usually held for at 
least 3D objects).
> 
> I have been using a somewhat different, but probably not 
> incompatible view
> where identity is a fundamental concept, that identity may 
> have related
> processes - it could be a process, have processes or have a role in
> processes.  An identity could also have a (3d) state as well as a (4d)
> lifetime.  So the key here is more "has a" than "is a".  I would also
> consider a "concept" to have identity, and this is not 
> clearly a process.    (03)

MW: I think you are talking about things you have deemed have identity,
not what it is that makes them the same/different which is what I am
talking about.
> 
> This identity is then the binding element between processes 
> and state and is
> probably the same as "continuant" as used on this list.  
> While I can see the
> philosophy behind it, requiring an identity to be a process makes a
> commitment that may be more than I am comfortable with right now.
> 
> How does this fit?    (04)

See above.    (05)

> -Cory
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ontac-dev-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ontac-dev-
> > bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of West, Matthew R SIPC-DFD/321
> > Sent: Friday, February 03, 2006 4:56 AM
> > To: ONTAC Taxonomy-Ontology Development Discussion
> > Subject: RE: [ontac-dev] Representation of attributes
> > 
> > Dear Cory,
> > 
> > > Matthew,
> > > So is this concept of process subsume the idea of identity?
> > > That is, is
> > > everything that continues over time a "process" or can there
> > > be "things"
> > > with identity that are not process?
> > 
> > MW: That's a good question. Ontologically, I'm inclined to think
> > everything is a process, but some processes have a structure we
> > consider to be physical objects. So Mt Everest looks like a pretty
> > solid physical object on our timescale, but on a geological
> > timescale it is a wave in the earth's crust. A grain of sand looks
> > pretty inert, but inside there are atoms vibrating in a lattice.
> > 
> > MW: Epistemologically, that these things may be true is usually
> > not interesting, except perhaps in the case of living things.
> > 
> > > Does a process have identity?
> > 
> > MW: In 4D certainly. A process has a spatio-temporal extent, and
> > the identity of all objects in 4D (in our version at least) is
> > extensional.
> > 
> > 
> > _________________________________________________________________
> > Message Archives: http://colab.cim3.net/forum/ontac-dev/
> > To Post: mailto:ontac-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config:
> > http://colab.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontac-dev/
> > Shared Files: http://colab.cim3.net/file/work/SICoP/ontac/
> > Community Wiki: http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-
> > bin/wiki.pl?SICoP/OntologyTaxonomyCoordinatingWG
> 
>  
> _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://colab.cim3.net/forum/ontac-dev/
> To Post: mailto:ontac-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config: 
http://colab.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontac-dev/
Shared Files: http://colab.cim3.net/file/work/SICoP/ontac/
Community Wiki: 
http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?SICoP/OntologyTaxonomyCoordinatingWG    (06)



_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://colab.cim3.net/forum/ontac-dev/
To Post: mailto:ontac-dev@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subscribe/Unsubscribe/Config: http://colab.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontac-dev/
Shared Files: http://colab.cim3.net/file/work/SICoP/ontac/
Community Wiki: 
http://colab.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?SICoP/OntologyTaxonomyCoordinatingWG    (07)
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>