[SCL] The semantics of "semantics"

[Chris Menzel]

On Thu, Jan 16, 2003 at 03:53:09PM -0500, John Sowa wrote:
> I believe that somee recent lapses in communication have resulted
> from undefined notions of what "semantics" means.  Those of us who
> have been working with logic for some time naturally equate that
> term with "model-theoretic semantics" as defined by Ockham, Peirce,
> Tarski, Kripke, Montague, etc.
> 
> An "impedence mismatch" has come to the fore in the exchange
> of notes between Chris and Tanel ...

All of your points are very well taken, John; I agree strongly with
Jim's assessment.  But I do want to point out that I don't *think* there
was as much of a mismatch between me and Tanel on this point as you
suggest.  He was clearly using the term "semantics" in a way that is
common in the theorem proving, ontology, and Sem Web communities -- as
something more syntaxy in orientation -- and, although it is not the way
I would use the term talking with you or Pat, I was trying to follow
suit.  In (one variation of) this usage, one provides a "semantics" for
a term by fleshing it out in terms of sentences (axioms, if you will)
involving that term -- residing ideally in a robust knowledge base --
that can then be reasoned upon.  That is roughly the sense I was using.
My question to Tanel was simply how RDF was to be used for any sort of
"semantic translation" of an SCL-conformant language when it is not
capable of providing the "semantics" (i.e., axioms) for a term that an
SCL language is capable of providing.  What he was calling semantics
just looked like quotation to me.

Again, I invite reproof and correction!  I'm *happy* to be set straight
on this and related points, to be shown that I just don't have the right
picture of RDF's role here, or that I just don't really grok the notion
of translation that is at issue.  I have no axe to grind.  A lot of the
Sem Web landscape is still rather foreign to me and I don't for a minute
want to suggest that I know what is best, or who is confused, etc.  I am
only striving to understand the issues and avoid the sort of mismatch
you caution so clearly against -- mismatches that can arise very easily
when representatives of different communities come together to solve a
problem.

Regards,

-chris

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