Philosophy cannot become scientifically healthy without an immense technical vocabulary. We can hardly imagine our great-grandsons turning over the leaves of this dictionary without amusement over the paucity of words with which their grandsires attempted to handle metaphysics and logic. Long before that day, it will have become indispensably requisite, too, that each of these terms should be confined to a single meaning, which, however broad, must be free from all vagueness. This will involve a revolution in terminology; for in its present condition a philosophical thought of any precision can seldom be expressed without lengthy explanations.
Charles Sanders Peirce, Collected Papers 8:169.
This latest version of the SUO IFF (Figure 1) was submitted to the SUO on 5 December 2002. It introduces the IFF Ontology meta-Ontology (IFF-ONT) to the SUO IFF lower metalevel. The IFF-ONT axiomatizes the object-level by introducing the notions of theory and (local) logic. Any object-level ontology is abstractly represented by an IFF theory, and any populated object-level ontology is abstractly represented by an IFF logic. A theory, which consists of a type language and a set of axioms, exists only at the type pole of the instance-type polarity, and represents object-level ontologies with a formal or axiomatic semantics. A logic, which combines a theory with the notion of a model that satisfies the theory, represents object-level ontologies with a combined semantics, having both the axiomatic semantics of the theory and the interpretative semantics of the model. IFF theories and logics are the first order renditions of the theories and (local) logics of Information Flow. In addition to
There are currently six versions of the SUO IFF that were submitted over the last two years. The 20 July 2001 version, the IFF Foundation Ontology, introduced the SUO IFF. In the 4 October 2001 version of the SUO IFF the three upper level meta-ontologies emerged, and in the 5 December 2001 version of the SUO IFF the Top Core meta-Ontology was axiomatized. The 2 January 2002 version of the SUO IFF offers more polished versions of these four meta-ontologies. The 15 May 2002 version of the SUO IFF introduced the Model Theory meta-Ontology, the first of several that reside in the lower metalevel. And finally, the 5 December 2002 version of the SUO IFF offers an abstract representation for object-level ontologies with the Ontology meta-Ontology.
The IFF Foundation Ontology, which was the starter document, prototype, and first version of the SUO IFF, was submitted on 20 July 2001. Since then many things have happened in the development of the SUO IFF: three metalevels have emerged; in the new IFF Foundation (meta) Ontology various parts have taken on an identity of their own (the Top Core, Upper Core, Upper Relation-Order, Upper Classification and Upper Category Theory (meta) Ontologies); and various new meta-ontologies have emerged in the lower metalevel.
Three additional meta-ontologies are being used in the background. Because of their current unpolished nature (they are all about 80% finished), these ontologies have so far not been submitted. They will eventually reside in the lower metalevel. They are the Lower Core, Lower Classification and Algebraic Theory meta-Ontologies. The SUO IFF site map has links to rough cuts of all three meta-ontologies. The core is the axis for the entire SUO IFF. It cuts across all three metalevels. Since the central part of the core represents sets and functions, the core set-theoretically represents the small, the large and the generic; or categorically represents small notions, large notions and quasi notions. The Lower Core (Upper Core, Lower Classification) meta-Ontology restricts, specializes and extends the Upper Core (Top Core, Upper Classification) meta-Ontology. The Algebraic Theory meta-Ontology (IFF-AT) represents universal algebra and equational logic. The IFF-AT axiomatizes the object-level by introducing the notions of algebraic theory and universal algebra. An algebraic theory is a special kind of theory consisting only of equations between pairs of terms. An algebra is a special kind of model consisting only of domains and operations on those domains. The IFF-AT represents and generalizes the functorial semantics of F. W. Lawvere.
Here is a list of frequently asked questions for the IFF.
These are some slides in PDF format that summarize the IFF.
Here are definitions of some of the most important concepts either
used or axiomatized in the IFF.
Here is a small dictionary whose entries consist of the most basic
terms in the IFF. Please regard this as a dictionary for
meta-ontologies.
This is a list of links to some of the IFF documents currently under development.
This is the map for the SUO IFF site. The hierarchical structure of the documents at the SUO IFF site closely corresponds to the IFF architecture of levels, namespaces and meta-ontologies.
This is a list of papers and books relevant to the IFF.
Technical Editor: Marco Schorlemmer
Assistant Technical Editor: Leo Obrst