Re: [ontolog-forum] Binary versus N-ary relations

[Chris Menzel <chris.menzel@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, Sep 6, 2012 at 2:44 PM, Andries van Renssen <andries.vanrenssen@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Doug,
Your statement that occurrences cannot be higher arity relations, because
they are first class objects implies that you see an opposition between
'first class' objects and occurrences.
I don't know what 'first class objects' are, and I don't see why higher
arity relations cannot be first class objects.

As many ontolog-forum members will know, this idea lies at the heart of the semantics of Common Logic and (as a historical consequence) RDF. In Common Logic, there is just one domain of objects. Some of those objects can be identified with relations, but everything is a "first-class citizen".

 

Nijssen introduced the
concept 'objectified relations' for such a thing. They are relations and
they are 'objects in their own right'. Relations with relations should not
be forbidden.

Well, the idea goes back a good deal farther than Nijssen, although he was probably the first to introduce the idea into his particular community.

Chris Menzel

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