Dispositions and Roles of Generically Dependent Entities

TL;DR

This paper critiques BFO 2020's inability to represent functions, dispositions, and roles of generically dependent entities, proposing solutions to enhance its expressiveness for modeling such entities.

Contribution

It identifies limitations in BFO 2020 regarding generically dependent continuants and proposes two approaches to support their functions, dispositions, and roles.

Findings

Identifies BFO 2020 limitations in representing generically dependent entities.

Proposes the use of defined classes as a solution.

Suggests modifications to BFO to support these entities' functions and roles.

Abstract

BFO 2020 does not support functions, dispositions, and roles of generically dependent continuants (like software or datasets). In this paper, we argue that this is a severe limitation, which prevents, for example, the adequate representation of the functions of computer models or the various roles of datasets during the execution of these models. We discuss the aspects of BFO 2020 that prevent the representation of realizable entities of generically dependent continuants. Two approaches to address the issue are presented: (a) the use of defined classes and (b) a proposal of changes that allow BFO to support functions, dispositions, and roles of generically dependent continuants. The latter also addresses limitations of BFO 2020 concerning the roles and dispositions of immaterial entities, particularly boundaries and sites.