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

[David Dodds <drdodds42@hotmail.com>]

In my conceptualization system notions/ideas/concepts occur "within" a 
mental-agency, a "mind". Notions are the content of the mind process. 
Notions themselves cannot exist other than in a mind/mental agency.

Transformations/"conveyances"/re-presentations !  of notions can  
"externalize" a rendition of such notion(s) but the notion(s) themselvs 
cannot be 'beamed out' in their completeness like mental telepathy.

Certainly it makes sense to say that physical things exist independently of 
human mind / perception / cognition but they are physical things not 
insubstantial / noncorporeal mentalisations/thoughts.

Thomas, would you please discuss what it is that you perceive is gained by 
having a universe where concepts/ideas/noncorporea can exist outside of a 
mental agency/mind? To me this idea is reminescent of Pantheism, or a kind 
of mentwal phlogiston or ether. I dont understand what notions outside of 
minds could be used for.

David Dodds



>From: "Thomas B. Passin" <tpassin@home.com>
>To: topicmaps-comments <topicmaps-comment@lists.oasis-open.org>
>Subject: Re: [topicmaps-comment] Notions have existence .....
>Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2001 09:01:38 -0400
>
>[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
>
>
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