Ontology for Conceptual Modeling: Reality of What Thinging Machines Talk About, e.g., Information

TL;DR

This paper develops a diagrammatic-based descriptive ontology for conceptual modeling using philosophical concepts, applied to understanding the nature of information within Thinging Machines methodology.

Contribution

It introduces an interdisciplinary approach to create a practical, diagrammatic ontology for CM, moving away from purely philosophical languages and focusing on real-world applicability.

Findings

Information is about events and existing things.

Information has a subsisting nature carried by other things.

The approach enhances understanding of information in software engineering.

Abstract

In conceptual modeling (CM) as a subdiscipline of software engineering, current proposed ontologies (categorical analysis of entities) are typically established through whole adoption of philosophical theories (e.g. Bunge s). In this paper, we pursue an interdisciplinary research approach to develop a diagrammatic-based ontological foundation for CM using philosophical ontology as a secondary source. It is an endeavor to escape an offshore procurement of ontology from philosophy and implant it in CM. In such an effort, the CM diagrammatic language plays an important role in contrast to dogmatic philosophical languages obsession with abstract entities. Specifically, this paper is about developing a descriptive (in contrast to formal) ontology that a modeler accepts as a supplementary account of reality when using thinging machines (TMs; i.e. a reality that uncovers the ontology of things that TM modeling discusses or talks about, akin to the ontology of natural language). The aim here is aligned toward developing CM notions and processes that are firm enough. Classical analysis of being per se (e.g. identity, substance) is de-emphasized in this work; nevertheless, philosophical concepts form an acknowledged authority to compare to. As a case study, such a methodology is applied to the notion of information. This application would enhance understanding of the TM methodology and clarify some of the issues that shed light on the question of the nature of information as an important concept in software engineering. Information is defined as about events; that is, it is about existing things. It is viewed as having a subsisting nature that exists only through being carried on by other things. The results seem to indicate a promising approach to define information and understand its nature.