- From: Graham Klyne <GK@ninebynine.org>
- Date: Wed, 26 Nov 2003 09:26:41 +0000
- To: Garret Wilson <garret@globalmentor.com>, www-rdf-interest@w3.org
At 17:25 24/11/03 -0800, Garret Wilson wrote: >I'm adding loads of fun to RDF by reading Searle's _Speech Acts_. In >particular, his discussion of predication (Chapter 5, page 97) is >interesting---he claims that while a subject can "refer" to a particular, >predication does not in the same sense involve "referring" to a universal. > >I've discussed on this list the need to identify the resource an RDF >literal represents using, for example, a URI; RDF does not allow this. I >have considered the distinction between resource nodes and literal nodes >to be of syntactic convenience only. However, upon reflection it seems >that historically literal nodes have been used to represent universals >(e.g. "red" or "heavy")---although of late the RDF community seems to be >encouraging URI-identified resources for this purpose---and resource nodes >have been used to represent particulars. There is a certain empirical >parallel, at least. Searle's explanations the analysis more interesting. > >My question is ancillary: Can someone recommend a reading list that >addresses the intersection of the philosophy of language, semiotics, RDF, >and the semantic web? I'd recommend Quine's Ontological Relativity and Other Essays ... I found the discussion of reference of terms in one of the early essays to be particularly enlightening ... my copy's mysteriously gone into hiding right now, so I can't be more specific. But there's a reference and more comment here: http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-sw-meaning/2003Oct/0035.html #g ------------ Graham Klyne For email: http://www.ninebynine.org/#Contact
Received on Wednesday, 26 November 2003 05:24:15 UTC