RE: [ontolog-forum] Current Semantic Web Layer Cake

You are right. This goes to the heart of the issue of "vicious circularity" that Whitehead and Russell had thought was sorted with Principia Mathematica, until Kurt Gödel came along and demolished their shiny, perfect, world. An ontology is not just some self-referencing and self-sustaining model that is somehow "complete"; it points out to the real world, as you rightly say.

Before there is a flame war on this, I should underline that we discussed this extensively at the Ontology Summit, and there was an (uncomfortable for some) consensus that there is "Ontology" as *the* study of being; and there are "ontologies" that are domain-specific encapsulations of some aspect of the real world.

Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: ontolog-forum-bounces@ontolog.cim3.net [mailto:ontolog-forum-bounces@ontolog.cim3.net] On Behalf Of Duane Nickull
Sent: 31 July 2007 16:05
To: [ontolog-forum]; John F. Sowa
Cc: 'SW-forum'
Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] Current Semantic Web Layer Cake




On 7/31/07 12:46 PM, "Azamat" <abdoul@cytanet.com.cy> wrote:

> The real semantics or meanings of any symbolism or notation is defined by
> ontology; for this is the only knowledge domain studying the Being of
> Everything which is, happens and relates.

Not trying to start a nit picky argument, but I had always thought that real
semantics are defined by how a term is used and what it is linked to in a
physical world (which of course can be captured and expressed in an
ontology).  Otherwise any ontology is just a huge circular reference (like
the english dictionary when void of any grounding.

How can one define and convey the true meaning of spicy food, heat, pain etc
without the corresponding grounding experience?

Duane 

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Received on Wednesday, 1 August 2007 13:04:46 UTC