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Topic: entities

topics > Group: philosophy



Topic:
abstraction
Topic:
authentication
Topic:
database entities
Topic:
discrete vs. continuous
Topic:
elements
Topic:
empirical truth
Topic:
entity-relationship database model
Topic:
existence
Topic:
existence of database entities
Topic:
fundamental concepts such as type, attributes, relationships are all the same
Topic:
meaning vs. reference
Topic:
meaning without reference
Topic:
metaphysics and epistemology
Topic:
names as rigid designators
Topic:
object and value equivalence
Topic:
object-oriented objects
Topic:
proper names
Topic:
recognition
Topic:
set definition by extension or intension
Group:
sets
Topic:
words in natural languages

Summary

An entity is anything that exists, a unit, something. It can be created or destroyed and carry attributes or relations with other things. It is independent of its attributes.

It is through entities that language attaches to the world. This causes the paradox of existence due to fictional names. Does Hamlet exist? In any case, entities are what language is about.

Identity of entities is a bit tricky and often subjective. For example, when does one shadow become two? Or is two copies of a book in a library, one book or two? Or consider the evening star and morning star, or the murderer and the butler. (cbb 4/94)

Subtopic: entity as distinctness up

Quote: an entity is anything with reality and distinctness of being in fact or thought [»senkME1_1973]
Quote: the real world consists of entities and relationships; basis for entity-relationship model [»chenPP3_1976]
Quote: things are primarily one when their primary being is one
Quote: no species has come into existence twice
Quote: all animals recognize objects and predict their behavior; allows representation of artifacts without language [»hausMD_2000]

Subtopic: entity as creation up

Quote: an individual is the direct source of another individual; there are no general explanatory factors; may share a common formula [»aris_322a]
Quote: entities are things that exist and can be created or destroyed [»maclBJ12_1983]

Subtopic: entity as existence up

Quote: an entity is the same entity even if any or all of its attributes change
Quote: affirmation of existence is nothing but denial of the number nought

Subtopic: entity as attributes up

Quote: a subject is anything that possesses attributes [»millJS_1843, OK]
Quote: things are one when they do, undergo, have, or relate to something in common [»aris_322a]
Quote: authenticated operation requires program identity; e.g., restrict access to financial data via cryptographic hash of executable code [»englP7_2003]

Subtopic: entity as subjects that reference particulars up

Quote: language attaches to the world because subjects reference particulars; so reference implies existence; paradox of fictional names [»martAP_1990]
Quote: traditionally, a subject expression in language refers to a particular object; usually an individual thing in space and time [»martAP_1990]
Quote: an entity is anything which a noun or noun phrase can reference [»kentW1_1984]

Subtopic: problems with identity of entities up

Quote: the assignment statement undoes referential transparency and identity; how much of mathematics can survive? [»straC8_1967]
Quote: when are two things instances of the same thing [»kentW_1978, OK]
Quote: in a bibliography, each book is an entity; in a library each copy of book is an entity [»kentW_1978]
Quote: in a mystery, the murderer and butler are separate entities; afterwards they are the same [»kentW_1978]
Quote: are all classes of the same size, the same 'number'? if so, when do names refer to the same thing (e.g., overlapping shadows)
[»wittL_1939]

Related Topics up

Topic: abstraction (62 items)
Topic: authentication (93 items)
Topic: database entities (12 items)
Topic: discrete vs. continuous (47 items)
Topic: elements (22 items)
Topic: empirical truth (47 items)
Topic: entity-relationship database model (22 items)
Topic: existence (29 items)
Topic: existence of database entities (19 items)
Topic: fundamental concepts such as type, attributes, relationships are all the same (37 items)
Topic: meaning vs. reference (49 items)
Topic: meaning without reference (31 items)
Topic: metaphysics and epistemology (99 items)
Topic: names as rigid designators (43 items)
Topic: object and value equivalence (60 items)
Topic: object-oriented objects (39 items)
Topic: proper names (35 items)
Topic: recognition (50 items)
Topic: set definition by extension or intension (18 items)
Group: sets   (7 topics, 148 quotes)
Topic: words in natural languages
(40 items)

Updated barberCB 5/04
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