On Apr 7, 2009, at 8:33 AM, Richard H. McCullough wrote: (01)
> <John Sowa>
> But we have consistently complained about the vagueness of
> what you call "context".
>
> <Dick McCullough>
> Here's a thought experiment to explain the nature of "context".
>
> from <www-rdf-interest@xxxxxx> 15 December 2002
> begin QUOTE
> Here's my most fundamental view of context.
> Imagine that I decide to record all my knowledge in a diary.
> Every day, I write propositions in my diary, numbering them 1, 2, .... (02)
Actually, you can't do this. What you write in your diary will be
sentences, not propositions. Sentences are simply marks, arrangements
of symbols. They express propositions by virtue of the language in
which the sentences are written having a semantics: this semantics -
the meaning, if you like - is what makes sentences express
propositions. Now, if you claim to be writing (sentences which
express) propositions, then you are presuming that the language you
are writing in already has a semantics. Which is fair enough if you
are writing in English for competent English readers, say (though, as
we all know, fraught with problems of mutual misunderstanding, even
when you are writing notes to be read by yourself in the future.) But
as you are writing in a new language of your own invention, with a
grammar quite different from that of English, then until you tell us
how your notation maps sentences to propositions - until you give us a
semantics for your notation - we can't begin to know what these
propositions, that you claim to be writing, actually are. (03)
> Today, I record proposition 123456789; the context of proposition
> 123456789 is the list of propositions from 1 to 123456788.
> It's that simple! (04)
So now (and ignoring the above point for the moment) what exactly do
the propositions with numbers less than N have to do with proposition
number N? In what WAYS do these 'contexts' have any influence over the
meanings of these propositions? (Because I presume they must, or else
why do you call them 'contexts'?) You need to spell some of this out,
and then it will not be quite so simple, I predict. (05)
>
> My KR language and KE program is my way of
> recording, organizing & using a large list of propositions. (06)
Recording, yes (modulo the basic point about semantics); organizing,
hardly; using: not at all. You never say how your contexts are USED. (07)
> end QUOTE
>
> Going from thought experiment back to real life,
> my "context" is the entire contents of my brain. (08)
Nobody, even you, knows what this is. And in any case, it's not
enough: your brain doesn't tell ME what YOU mean by "I" or "now". (09)
Pat (010)
>
> To make practical use of this "context" in any particular case,
> I can select only those propositions which are relevant to
> the particular case, and I can use genus-differentia definitions
> to summarize the results of many propositions.
>
> Dick McCullough
> http://mkrmke.org
>
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
> Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
> Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
> Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
> To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
> To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> (011)
------------------------------------------------------------
IHMC (850)434 8903 or (650)494 3973
40 South Alcaniz St. (850)202 4416 office
Pensacola (850)202 4440 fax
FL 32502 (850)291 0667 mobile
phayesAT-SIGNihmc.us http://www.ihmc.us/users/phayes (012)
_________________________________________________________________
Message Archives: http://ontolog.cim3.net/forum/ontolog-forum/
Config Subscr: http://ontolog.cim3.net/mailman/listinfo/ontolog-forum/
Unsubscribe: mailto:ontolog-forum-leave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shared Files: http://ontolog.cim3.net/file/
Community Wiki: http://ontolog.cim3.net/wiki/
To join: http://ontolog.cim3.net/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?WikiHomePage#nid1J
To Post: mailto:ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (013)
|