Sandro and Alex, (01)
To be general, an ontology would emphasize types rather than
specific individuals. But there are many categories that
contain unique individuals that must be considered. (02)
SRF
> There is a question we have been discussing in our group for
> a long time, and we would be glad to have your opinions on it:
> Can ontologies really contain individuals? (03)
AS
> But even [in general theories], there are a lot of individuals
> for ex. in arithmetic (0, 1...). (04)
Yes But there are other reasons for distinguishing special cases.
Astronomy, for example, makes a special case for one star: our sun. (05)
Geographical information systems make a special case for one particular
planet: earth, its continents and coordinates. The earth's moon is
also treated as a special individual. (06)
Legal systems are always specific to one particular country, and they
also have to distinguish changes over time. The subdivisions of each
country may also have legal systems that have quite a bit of divergence. (07)
As another example, the kilogram is defined in terms of one specific
individual: a cylinder of platinum-iridium stored in a vault in France.
There are recommendations to redefine the kg in terms of Planck's
constant, but no official decision has been made. (08)
John (09)
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