1

SNAP and SPANBarry Smith and Pierre Grenon

University at Buffaloand

ifomis.deUniversity of Leipzig

2

Fourdimensionalism

– time is just another dimension, analogous to the three spatial dimensions

– only processes exist– substances are analyzed away as

worms/fibers within the four-dimensional process plenum

3

There are no substances

Bill Clinton does not existRather: there exists within the

four-dimensional plenum a continuous succession of processes which are similar in Billclintonizing way

4

Parts of processes (1)

c

c: boundary

a

a

a: scattered part

b

b: temporal slice

5

Parts of processes (2)

a

a: sub-process

b

b: phase

6

There is no change

That the water boils means: Not: the water is colder at one

time and hotter at another timeRather: that one phase of the

boiling process is cold and another hot

as one part of a colored ribbon is red and another blue

7

The Parable of Little Tommy’s Christmas Present

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Reductionism

1. a sort of adolescent rebellion

2. a product of physics envy3. we must simplify reality for

the sake of the software

9

Confession

Some of my best friends are fourdimensionalists

Fourdimensionalism is right in everything it saysBut incomplete

10

Realist Perspectivalism

There is a multiplicity of ontological perspectives on reality, all equally veridical = transparent to reality

e.g. perspectives at different granularities

11

Need for different perspectives

Not one ontology, but a multiplicity of complementary ontologies

Cf. Quantum mechanics: particle vs. wave ontologies

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Two Orthogonal, Complementary

Perspectives

SNAP and SPAN

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Substances and processes exist in time in different

ways

substance

t i m

e

process

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Snapshot Video ontology ontology

substance

t i m

e

process

15

SNAP and SPAN

Substances and processesContinuants and occurrents

In preparing an inventory of realitywe keep track of these two different categories of entities in two different ways

16

SNAP and SPAN

stocks and flowscommodities and services

product and process

anatomy and physiology

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SNAP and SPAN

lobster and growthnation and history

population and migrationocean and tide

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SNAP and SPAN

SNAP entities- have continuous existence in time- preserve their identity through change- exist in toto if they exist at all

SPAN entities- have temporal parts- unfold themselves phase by phase- exist only in their phases/stages

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SNAP vs. SPAN

1. SNAP: a SNAPshot ontology of endurants existing at a time

2. SPAN: a four-dimensionalist ontology of processes

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SNAP vs. SPAN

Substances vs. their lives

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You are a substance

Your life is a process

You are 3-dimensionalYour life is 4-dimensional

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Change

Adding SNAP to the fourdimensionalist perspective makes it possible to recognize the existence of change

(SNAP entities are that which endure, providing identity through change)

SNAP also provides a perspective point from which SPAN processes can be apprehended as changes

23

Substances do not have temporal parts

The first 5-minute phase of my existence is not a temporal part of me It is a temporal part of that complex process which is my life

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How do you know whether an entity is SNAP or SPAN?

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Three kinds of SNAP entities

1. Substances2. SPQR… entities3. Spatial regions, contexts,

niches, environments

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SPQR… entities

States, powers, qualities, roles …

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Other SPQR… entities:

functions, dispositions, plans, shapes

SPQR… entities are all dependent on substances

relations

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Spatial regions, niches, environments

Organisms evolve into environments

Island biogeography

Atomic physicsCell biology

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each SNAP section through reality

includes everything which existsat the corresponding now

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Many SNAP Ontologies

t1

t3

t2

here time exists outside the ontology, as an index or time-stamp

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The SPAN Ontology

t i m e

32

here time exists as part of the domain of the ontology

The SPAN ontology

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SNAP ontology

many sharp boundaries

SPAN ontologymany smeered boundaries

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SNAP entities

provide the principles of individuation/segmentation for SPAN

entities

No change without some THING or QUALITY which changes

identity-based change research

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Ontology of War

need both continuants (army, battle-group , materiel, morale, readiness, battlespace …)

and occurrents (manoeuvre, campaign, supply, trajectory, death …)

36t i m e

invasion

Battalion moves from A to B

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Each is a window on that dimension of reality which is visible through the given ontology (… Patrick Hayes …)

SNAP and SPAN ontologies are partial only

(Realist perspectivalism)

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SNAP: Entities existing in toto at a time

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Three kinds of SNAP entities

1. Substances2. SPQR… entities3. Spatial regions,

Contexts, Niches

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SNAP

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SPAN: Entities extended in time

SPANEntity extended in time

Portion of Spacetime

Fiat part of process *First phase of a clinical trial

Spacetime worm of 3 + Tdimensions

occupied by life of organism

Temporal interval *projection of organism’s life

onto temporal dimension

Aggregate of processes *Clinical trial

Process[±Relational]

Circulation of blood,secretion of hormones,course of disease, life

Processual Entity[Exists in space and time, unfolds

in time phase by phase]

Temporal boundary ofprocess *

onset of disease, death

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SPAN: Entities extended in time

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SPAN: Entities extended in time

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3-dimensional and 4-dimensional environments

Lobsters have evolved into environments marked by cyclical patterns of temperature change

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Relations between SNAP and SPAN

SNAP-entities participate in processes; they have lives, histories.

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SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations

the expression of a functionthe exercise of a rolethe execution of a planthe realization of a dispositionthe application of a therapythe course of a disease

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SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations

functionroleplandispositiontherapydisease

SNAP

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SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations

expression exercise execution realization applicationcourse

SPAN

51

instruction and operationscore and performance

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SNAP entities

provide the principles of individuation for SPAN entities

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Participation

x

y

substances x, y participate in process B

time

Bx

y

SNAP-ti.

time

SPAN

B

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Movement

from location

x

ends

begins

mov

emen

t

to location

y

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Creation

t1

R

SNAP-t1

t2>t1

R

SNAP-t2

process P initiates a,a's birth at t2 a's life overlaps process P

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Granularity

spatial region substance

parts of substances are always substances

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Granularity

spatial region substance

parts of spatial regions are always spatial regions

58

Granularity

process

parts of processes are always processes

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MORAL

Relations crossing the SNAP/SPAN border are

never part-relations

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Relations crossing the SNAP/SPAN border are never part-relations

John’s lifesubstance John

physiological processes

sustaining in existence

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An adequate ontology of geography has to have three components:

SNAP GeO

SPAN GeO

FIELD GeO

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GeO

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SNAP GeO

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SPAN GeO

65

FIELD GeO

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problem cases

traffic jamforest fire

hurricane Mariawaves

shadows