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Re: [ontolog-forum] Early use of the word 'ontology' in AI

To: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Barkmeyer, Edward J" <edward.barkmeyer@xxxxxxxx>
From: Avril Styrman <Avril.Styrman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 18:26:02 +0200
Message-id: <20131106182602.Horde.UNghonpkgJgRUocISBbSsg8.astyrman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Quoting "Barkmeyer, Edward J" <edward.barkmeyer@xxxxxxxx>:    (01)

> The mind reels.
>
> The relationship between logical theories and the "real world" is  
> based on the phenomenon of "ontological commitment" -- the decision  
> to take certain metaphysical ideas to be true.  It follows that a  
> good formal ontology (in the knowledge engineering sense) is clear  
> about what those commitments are.  Pat's papers were very carefully  
> based on a specific set of such commitments.
>
> One of the problems with many "ontologgers" is that they have no  
> idea when they are even making such commitments.  They don't ask  
> themselves whether there are other possible interpretations of their  
> observations; they just write down what they think they see.    (02)

That's well said. It is not just a problem of ontologgers, but a  
problem of scientists in general, especially physicists and  
mathematicians. Nowadays, a model that one happens to learn is too  
easily the final truth. Accordingly, anything that doesn't fit in the  
prevailing paradigm (the prevailing ontological commitments) is  
automatically rejected as unscientific. Basically, science conquered  
the role of the holder of the truth from the church, and now the  
scientists say what is true. The long-term solution is to take  
philosophy of science as compulsory in all education programs,  
especially in universities. This would (hopefully) lead into a more  
pragmatic attitude towards competing models.    (03)

Avril    (04)


Ystävällisin terveisin,    (05)

Avril Styrman
avril.styrman@xxxxxxxxxxx
puh. +358 40 7000 589    (06)


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