SUO: Re: Lifecycle Integration Schema
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LIS. Discussion Note 106
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Matthew,
I continue to examine the status of abstract objects,
for instance, the putative hypostatic entity that goes
under the abstract handle of the "Price Of Tea In China".
The first question that we usually think to ask about an abstract term,
for instance, the "Price Of Tea In China" (POTIC), is whether it has
any meaning at all, and by that meaning we usually mean a couple of
discernible features. First of all, does it have any "denotation",
that is to say, any objective reference to things in the world of
things that we refer to as the objects of discussion and thought?
When there is reason to think that an abstract term does indeed
have an objective reference of some kind, then it is customary
to classify that objective denotation as an "abstract object".
For example, one says that the abstract term "POTIC" refers
to the abstract object POTIC. Next, when it comes to the
second aspect of meaning that is meant by the meaning of
of an abstract term, we run into the expressive problem
of having way too many diverse ways of taking about it,
and so I will arbitrarily settle on one way of talking
about what is most needed in this case that will work
well enough for the time being. In accord with this,
I will just say that the "connotation" of any sign
has something to do with all the signs that might
be taken as equivalent or implied by the sign in
question. Just by way of taking up the easiest
example in sight as a way of getting started,
we may observe that one of the connotations
of "POTIC" is "Price Of Tea In China", and,
of course, by our convention, vice versa.
There are times when the tea ceremony is so involved,
that you forget what it was you were thirsting after.
But I think this will provide a useful place setting.
Jon Awbrey
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