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Re: [ontolog-forum] Reality and semantics.

To: <edbark@xxxxxxxx>, "[ontolog-forum] " <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "Richard H. McCullough" <rhm@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:09:31 -0700
Message-id: <1E1FA71D5F3B452AA1D7E179A0A41AF0@rhm8200>
John, Ed, Pat, etal    (01)

Here's the viewpoint of another engineer.    (02)

I have offered the world a new tool,
the mKR language, which effectively
simplifies English, and removes its ambiguity
by using genus-differentia definitions and
explicit contexts for every sentence.    (03)

I am very happy with mKR.
I have successfully applied mKR in many areas,
from simple address books to epistemology.
And I did it with informal English paraphrases
as my standard of meaning.    (04)

I am constantly challenged to prove the value
of mKR by producing a formal Model Theory
(possible worlds) for mKR.  I may never get
around to doing that --  because it's not important
to me.  Informal English paraphrases are the
best connection to the real world.    (05)

Dick McCullough
Ayn Rand do speak od mKR done;
mKE do enhance od Real Intelligence done;
knowledge := man do identify od existent done;
knowledge haspart proposition list;
http://mKRmKE.org/    (06)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ed Barkmeyer" <edbark@xxxxxxxx>
To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2008 8:00 AM
Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] Reality and semantics.    (07)


> John F. Sowa wrote:
>
>> Following are the points I would emphasize:
>>
>>   1. The immense size and complexity of the universe and its
>>      continuous variability in time and space make it impossible
>>      for any discrete, finite set of labels (words or predicates)
>>      to have a perfect, one-to-one mapping to all aspects of the
>>      universe or even to some small chunk we are familiar with.
>>
>>   2. Human systems for perception, action, and mental imagery
>>      enable us to interact with the world more accurately than
>>      we can characterize it in discrete words or predicates.
>>      ...
>>
>>   3. Therefore, anything we can express in a discrete string of
>>      symbols (in logic or natural language) will inevitably be
>>      an approximation to some limited part of the universe for
>>      the purpose of fulfilling some particular narrow goal.
>
> Unsurprisingly, we are all in violent agreement.  And the apparent
> discord was a consequence of the language used to express the model.
> Who would have thunk it? ;-)
>
>>   4. Natural languages have evolved under those constraints for
>>      thousands of years, and they have proved to be amazingly
>>      successful and flexible in adapting to an open-ended variety
>>      of situations while enabling us to communicate enough of our
>>      thoughts with sufficient accuracy to achieve specific goals.
>
> Or with sufficient ambiguity to confuse our peers, as John managed to do
> with his earlier email.
>
> As to the rest of John's posting, I refuse to be drawn into a discussion
> of the power of either mathematics or logic.  I am an engineer. "By
> their fruits shall ye know them."
>
> -Ed
>
> -- 
> Edward J. Barkmeyer                        Email: edbark@xxxxxxxx
> National Institute of Standards & Technology
> Manufacturing Systems Integration Division
> 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8263                Tel: +1 301-975-3528
> Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8263                FAX: +1 301-975-4694
>
> "The opinions expressed above do not reflect consensus of NIST,
>  and have not been reviewed by any Government authority."
>
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>
>     (08)



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