Re: [topicmaps-comment] Notions have existence .....

["Thomas B. Passin" <tpassin@home.com>]

[Enrico Silterra]

>
> "Notions have existence regardless of whether any
> information conveys them."
>
>
> Reading Steve, and Michel's presentation from
> the Semantic Web Workshop,
> I am worried that we are venturing into some sort
> of Platonic mode of thought here -- My HO is that the
> notion that  notions such as "unicorns" exist whether
> or not anyone thinks them is wrong
> What does "information conveys" mean?
> What are the logical operations that can be performed
> on topic maps?  Is the topic map notation equivalent
> to the propositional calculus? If it isn't, how can we
> use tm's to reason with? If it is, what does it add?
>

I decided some time ago to finesse this philosophical question by deciding
to ACT AS IF notions exist as virtual entities at least for some duration.
It is clearly the case that everyone acts as if they believe this, at lest
sometimes.  Whether it is "really" true, or whether all concepts are really
only encoded transiently in complex brain structures and do not otherwise
exist is a fascinating question which is currently beyond my powers to
prove.  That's why I say "act as if...".

Cheers,

Tom P