article

Technical artifacts: An integrated perspective

Authors:

Maarten Franssen,

Paweł Garbacz,

Yoshinobu Kitamura,

Riichiro Mizoguchi,

Pieter E. VermaasAuthors Info & Claims

Applied Ontology, Volume 9, Issue 3-4

Pages 217 - 235

Published: 01 July 2014 Publication History

Abstract

Humans are always interested in distinguishing natural and artificial entities although there is no sharp demarcation between the two categories. Surprisingly, things do not improve when the second type of entities is restricted to the arguably more constrained realm of physical technical artifacts. This paper helps to clarify the relationship between natural entities and technical artifacts by developing a conceptual landscape within which to analyze these notions. The framework is developed by studying three definitions of technical artifact which arise from different perspectives. All these perspectives share two intuitions: that technical artifacts are physical objects that exist by human intervention; and that technical artifacts are entities to be contrasted to natural entities. Yet the perspectives are different in the way they spell out these intuitions: the relevant human intervention may range from intentional selection to intentional production; and the contrast between technical artifacts and natural entities may be introduced by a constitution relation or by defining properties that set technical artifacts apart. The three perspectives are compared and their similarities and dissimilarities are explored with the help of ontological analysis.

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Borgo SFerrario RGangemi AGuarino NMasolo CPorello DSanfilippo EVieu LBorgo SGalton AKutz O(2022)DOLCEApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-21025917:1(45-69)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2022
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cover image Applied Ontology

Applied Ontology Volume 9, Issue 3-4

July 2014

95 pages

ISSN:1570-5838

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IOS Press

Netherlands

Publication History

Published: 01 July 2014

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Cited By

Borgo SFerrario RGangemi AGuarino NMasolo CPorello DSanfilippo EVieu LBorgo SGalton AKutz O(2022)DOLCEApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-21025917:1(45-69)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3233/AO-210259
Mizoguchi RBorgo SBorgo SGalton AKutz O(2022)YAMATOApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-21025717:1(211-232)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3233/AO-210257
Benedictis RUmbrico AFracasso FCortellessa GOrlandini ACesta A(2022)A dichotomic approach to adaptive interaction for socially assistive robotsUser Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction10.1007/s11257-022-09347-633:2(293-331)Online publication date: 17-Nov-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s11257-022-09347-6
Toyoshima F(2021)Roles and their three facetsApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-21024416:2(161-192)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3233/AO-210244
Sanfilippo ETerkaj WBorgo S(2021)Ontological modeling of manufacturing resourcesApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-21024216:1(87-109)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3233/AO-210242
Borgo SCesta AOrlandini AUmbrico A(2019)Knowledge-based adaptive agents for manufacturing domainsEngineering with Computers10.1007/s00366-018-0630-635:3(755-779)Online publication date: 1-Jul-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1007/s00366-018-0630-6
Maksimov N(2018)The Methodological Basis of Ontological Documentary Information ModelingAutomatic Documentation and Mathematical Linguistics10.3103/S000510551802003652:2(57-72)Online publication date: 1-Mar-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3103/S0005105518020036
Mizoguchi RKitamura YBorgo S(2016)A unifying definition for artifact and biological functionsApplied Ontology10.3233/AO-16016511:2(129-154)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2016
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.3233/AO-160165

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