On 12/14/2014 2:17 PM, Pat Hayes wrote:
> How is it possible for educated adult human beings to get themselves
> so unbelievably muddled over what should be one of the simplest
> ideas ever stated? (01)
Very easily. They try to define the top level of an ontology. (02)
My recommendation is to use the technical term 'Entity' rather
than the common English word 'thing'. (03)
I state only one axiom for Entity, which says absolutely nothing: (04)
(∀x)Entity(x). (05)
I keep telling people to stop trying to define the undefinable.
Just use simple FOL to define things. Then translate the FOL
to simple English sentences for anyone who doesn't know FOL. (06)
The translation of (∀x)Entity(x) is "Everything is an entity."
End of story. Nothing more can or should be said -- except in
a comment to stop people from trying to say more. (07)
John (08)
PS: People who don't know FOL should learn FOL before they attempt
to define anything. Learning OWL is not recommended -- it poisons
the mind by causing people to think that they know something. (09)
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