Hi Richard, (01)
RV:
> The only problem I have is more to do with semantics and the real
> world application. I am not an ontologist per se, but for me
> knowledge work needs to be contextual. Thus, axioms need to be
> constrained and their creation based on what I call practical
> applications of human interpretative intelligence. (02)
One example of how the level hierarchy can help in contextualization
is that some axioms may apply only on some one particular level or on
some levels, but not on others. (03)
RV:
> Thus, although I am out of my depth here, it is not clear to me what
> is useful about “the identification of levels – in that it clarifies
> the ontology of properties”. (04)
I'm not especially concentrating on computer science ontology, and it
is easier to answer what is useful about the identification of levels
elsewhere. (05)
The level hierarchy can be clearly found everywhere in nature. I quote
Sowa's slide 63 http://www.jfsowa.com/talks/iss.pdf: Ontology: The
study of what exists and how it can be formally described and
axiomatized. (06)
So, if I achieve to spell out the minimal axiomatization of something
very general, then that clarifies the ontology of properties. But what
is the utility of the ontology of properties? I hope it has utility,
since if it does not have, then that part of e.g. D.M. Armstrong's and
David Bohm's work has no utility, and I've been misguided for many
years, for who would like to do something that has no utility? The
ontology of properties is an undeniable part of philosophical
ontology, and it can be asked even more generally that what is the
utility of philosophical ontology? (07)
Suppose that someone has managed to spell out the logical skeleton S
of something that prevails everywhere. Then consider another theory T
that is in contradiction with S. If we already know that S is true,
then we can say that T is not true, at least not in the respect in
which it is in contradiction with S. Then again, suppose that S and T
are both true, and explain exactly the same thing and nothing else.
Then it comes down to which one is more economical. (08)
So, the utility of an ideal physicalist-economical ontology is at
least that it helps to identify theories that are without
physicalist-economical grounds. (09)
-Avril (010)
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