Here is a proposal with regard to a highest common factor
ULO.
Most General Term for Everything Which Exists: Entity
MW: So far so good :-)
An
ontology is a representation of types of entities; all types have
instances.
MW: We go wrong immediately for commonality with
4D.
Top-level Dichotomy
continuant (an
entity which endures as one and the same through time
while undergoing
changes, e.g. organisms, plans, color-qualities)
occurrent (an entity
which unfold through time in successive phases,
what are also often called
'processes')
MW: I can see this working for a common 3D ontology, but
of course does not work with 4D since these sorts of things are not mutually
exclussive in 4D. If you
want to pursue this route, then I'm inclined to suggest trying to work on a
common upper 3D ontology, and then map between that and a common 4D upper
ontology. I think a common 3D upper ontology would be useful in its own
right.
MW: However, I also think that this would illustrate
what would not be shared between a 3D and 4D ontology, since they are
different theories at a very
high level. I also think lower level theories of what exists, like biological
taxonomies, could be shared, provided they are independent of a particular
upper ontology.
Second-Level Dichotomy
dependent entity (an entity which has one or more bearers or carriers
on which
it depends, all occurrent entities are dependent, since they are
all processes or changes in one or more
bearer or participant)
MW: As a principle I can agree with
this...
independent entity (entities which do not
require bearers; objects, things).
Dependent Continuant Entity can then
be divided into:
quality
role
function
shape
plan
etc.
MW: But I would not recognise these as having this
pattern in 4D.
Many dependent continuant entities are
realizable in processes of corresponding sorts; for example functions in
functionings, programs and plans in executions, etc.
BS