Fester Bestandteil unserer Alltagswelt sind Dinge. Was aber sind, genau genommen, Dinge? Wie heben sich Dinge ab von anderen konkreten Individuen? Sind Dinge eine ontologische Kategorie? Welche Unterscheidungen konnen wir innerhalb der Dinge anstellen und begrunden?, etwa: Worin unterscheiden sich kunstlich hergestellte Dinge (Artefakte) von Lebewesen? Kann man unter den Lebewesen nochmals eine besondere Gruppe festmachen, die traditionell Personen genannt werden? Was sind Personen? Derartigen Fragen geht diese Monographienach und versucht einen ontologischen Rahmen zu entwickeln, vor dessen Hintergrund die damit (...) verbundenen Probleme einer Losung zugefuhrt werden konnen. Der hier verfolgte Ansatz ist systematisch und problemorientiert, nicht exegetisch-historisch und nicht gegen andere ontologische Zugangsweisen gerichtet. Er bekennt sich zu methodischen Vorgaben einer deskriptiven- oder Alltagsontologie.". (shrink)

In the last two decades, WORDNET has evolved as the most comprehensive computational lexicon of general English. In this article, we discuss its potential for supporting the creation of an entirely new kind of information resource for public health, viz. MEDICAL WORDNET. This resource is not to be conceived merely as a lexical extension of the original WORDNET to medical terminology; indeed, there is already a considerable degree of overlap between WORDNET and the vocabulary of medicine. Instead, we propose a (...) new type of repository, consisting of three large collections of (1) medically relevant word forms, structured along the lines of the existing Princeton WORDNET; (2) medically validated propositions, referred to here as medical facts, which will constitute what we shall call MEDICAL FACTNET; and (3) propositions reflecting laypersons’ medical beliefs, which will constitute what we shall call the MEDICAL BELIEFNET. We introduce a methodology for setting up the MEDICAL WORDNET. We then turn to the discussion of research challenges that have to be met in order to build this new type of information resource. (shrink)

This paper seeks to show how a proper version of dispositionalism, taking powers as basic elements of reality, may figure as a causal theory of perception. On the basis of this argument, the paper draws some further conclusions, which may indicate the explanatory competence of such a disposition-affine theory of causality, for example in terms of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities, as well as an ontological account of mere potentialities of active capacities to perceive and of “privations,” respectively.

What can systematic philosophy contribute to come from conflict between cultures to a substantial dialogue? - This question was the general theme of the 29th international symposium of the Austrian Ludwig Wittgenstein Society in Kirchberg. Worldwide leading philosophers accepted the invitation to come to the conference, whose results are published in this volume, edited by Christian Kanzian Edmund Runggaldier. The sections are dedicated to the philosophy of Wittgenstein, Logics and Philosophy of Language, Decision- and Action Theory, Ethical Aspects of (...) the Intercultural Dialogue, Intercultural Dialogue, and last not least to Social Ontology. Our edition include contributions authored by Peter Hacker, Jennifer Hornsby, John Hyman, Michael Kober, Richard Rorty, Hans Rott, Gerhard Schurz, Barry Smith, Pirmin Stekeler-Weithofer, Franz Wimmer, and Kwasi Wiredu. (shrink)

This volume aims to investigate the topic of Substance and Attribute. The way leading to this aim is a dialogue between Islamic and Western Philosophy. Our project is motivated by the observation that the historical roots of Islamic and of Western philosophy are very similar. Thus some of the articles in this volume are dedicated to the history of philosophy in Islamic thinking as well as in Western traditions. But the dialogue between both philosophies is not only an historical issue, (...) it also has systematic relevance for actual philosophical questions. The topic Substance and Attribute particularly has systematic relevance for the actual ontological debate. (shrink)

Ziel der Arbeit ist es, Ansätze zur Interpretation der Schriften der ersten beiden wesentlichen Schaffensperioden Kants zu entwickeln. Die leitenden Ideen sind mit den Schlagwörtern des Titels bezeichnet. 1755/56 hat Kant bereits originelle Auffassungen dargelegt. In den Texten von 1762/63 findet sich eine spezifische Spannung. Sie resultiert aus Kants unreflektiertem Versuch, empiristische Thesen anglo-sächsischer Provenienz aufzugreifen und in seine rationalistisch geprägten Grundüberzeugungen zu integrieren. Die Untersuchungen gehen von ausführlichen Darstellungen der Texte Kants aus. Die Methode kann als systematisch orientierte Exegese (...) gekennzeichnet werden. (shrink)

The leading idea of the book is to focus on the common roots of Islamic and Western traditions and to increase awareness of the chances of systematic philosophical dispute, with the aim to promote a substantial dialogue on an academic level. Most of the collected papers in this edition are results of contributions to a workshop, organized by the editors of the volume, as an integrated part of a visit to the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute (IKERI) of Qom (...) by a delegation of philosophers from the University of Innsbruck in May 2008. The organizational frame of the workshop and also of this edition is the partnership between the IKERI and the University of Innsbruck the first formal high-level academic partnership between an Iranian Institution and a European University. The contributions in this edition investigate the topic Soul in an interdisciplinary and comparative way: Psychologists, Philosophers, and Theologians from both, Islamic and Western traditions, should be brought into dialogue with the focus on the general theme.". (shrink)

Das Anliegen dieses Artikels besteht darin, ausgehend von einer an drei zentralen Themen orienterten Analyse des Verhältnisses von Kants Schriften 1762/63 zu Crusius auf bedeutsame Aspekte des frühen Kantischen Philosophierens hinzuweisen und daraus Plausibilitätsannahmen für eine systematische und ideengeschichtliche Standortbestimmung desselben zu erarbeiten.

In meinem Beitrag versuche ich, das Problem einer Ontologie natürlicher Arten auf eine Weise anzugehen, die nicht dem Verdacht ausgesetzt ist, von vornherein auf nominalistische oder realistische Extrempositionen festzulegen. Zunächst lege ich meine terminologischen und inhaltlichen Voraussetzungen dar: Eine davon besteht in der Annahme, daß die Identität von Dingen, d.i. ihre ontologische Konstitution, sortal dependent ist. Die ontologische Konstiution von Dingen hängt auch von ihrer Artzugehörigkeit ab. In der Folge analysiere ich, worin diese sortale Dependenz genauerhin besteht. Dies geschieht anhand (...) einer Untersuchung von Existenz-bzw. Konstitutionsbedingungen, denen individuelle Dinge aufgrund ihrer Artzugehörigkeit unterliegen. In einem nächsten Schritt stelle ich die Frage, ob es Entitäten gibt, deren ontologische Konstitution in besonderer Weise sortal abhängig ist. Ich lege ausfürhrlich dar, worin diese Besonderheit bestehen soll und diskutiere meine Option, die gestellte Frage zu bejahen. Schließlich schlage ich vor, Vorkommnisse, deren ontologische Konstitution auf diese besondere Weise sortal dependent ist, als Vorkommnisse natürlicher Arten zu bezeichnen. Meine Vorgangsweise ist nicht thesenhaft behauptend, sondern argumentativ abwägend. Mit der Anführung meiner Option verbinde ich somit nicht den Anspruch, das Problem einer Ontologie natürlicher Arten zu lösen; eher den, zur weiteren Aktualisieriung seiner Diskussion beizutragen. (shrink)

Das Buch behandelt in seinen 3 Kapiteln die wichtigsten Grundströmungen innerhalb der analytischen Philosophie, die grundlegenden ontologischen Fragen (Universalien, Existenz, Modalitäten, Identität, Individuation) und die zentralen Themen einer kategorischen Ontologie (konkrete Dinge, Eigenschaften, Ereignisse, Sachverhalte). Literaturverzeichnis, Namenregister und Sachregister. - Als Einführung zum Thema für philosophische Anfangssemester. (3) (LK/MA: Altmeyer).

Resumo O objectivo deste artigo é o de oferecer uma análise ontológica das obras de arte, com a aplicação de uma teoria geral dos artefactos. O contexto teórico é o da descrição da coisa – ou ontologia da substância. Artefactos em geral e obras de arte em particular são consideradas entidades dependentes da mente com identidade convencional. A construção teórica deste artigo baseia-se num diálogo aberto com a teoria da arte e com os artistas, especialmente aqueles que se encontram no (...) campo do “objecto-arte”. Palavras-chave : artefactos, coisas, identidade convencional, obras de arte, ontologia descritiva, substânciasThe aim of this article is an ontological analysis of works of art, in application of a general theory of artefacts. The theoretical context is a descriptive thing – or substance-ontology. Artefacts in general, and works of art particularly, are considered to be mind-dependent entities with conventional identity. The theory-building of the article relies on an open dialogue with theory of art and artists, especially those in the field of object-art. Keywords : artefacts, conventional identity, descriptive ontology, substances, things, works of arts. (shrink)

This book is a collection of essays in systematic ontology. The parts of its title Things and Ways They Are are indicative of two broadly and intensively discussed issues in current ontology, namely, what categories of entities there are and in what ways they are relevant for our discourses. The three sections of the volume correspond to focuses of ontological research: Before Ontology is dedicated to conceptual, methodological, and meta-ontological issues; Ontology at Work raises general topics of categorial ontology, and (...) the final section Ontology in Application discusses questions such as those relating to free will and our conception of the human being. The book is a tribute to Edmund Runggaldier on the occasion of his 65th birthday. Its seventeen papers are authored by such distinguished scholars as Lynne Rudder Baker, Franz von Kutschera, E. J. Lowe, Otto Muck, Paul Weingartner, Timothy Williamson, and many others.". (shrink)

Preface The problem of persistence is as old as the tradition of systematic ontology: How can we explain that the middle-sized standard objects of ...

There is no abstract for this paper. It is a report on The Science of Consciousness, a conference that took place April 22-26, 2024 in Tucson, Arizona. Approximately 35 presentations are discussed, along with the conference as a whole.