1 SNAP and SPAN Barry Smith and Pierre Grenon University at Buffalo and ifomis.de University of Leipzig

2 Fourdimensionalism – time is just another dimension, analogous to the three spatial dimensions – only processes exist – substances are analyzed away as worms/fibers within the four- dimensional process plenum

3 There are no substances Bill Clinton does not exist Rather: there exists within the four- dimensional plenum a continuous succession of processes which are similar in Billclintonizing way

4 Parts of processes (1) c c: boundary a a a: scattered part b b: temporal slice

5 Parts of processes (2) a a: sub-process b b: phase

6 There is no change That the water boils means: Not: the water is colder at one time and hotter at another time Rather: that one phase of the boiling process is cold and another hot as one part of a colored ribbon is red and another blue

7 The Parable of Little Tommy’s Christmas Present

8 Reductionism 1.a sort of adolescent rebellion 2.a product of physics envy 3.we must simplify reality for the sake of the software

9 Confession Some of my best friends are fourdimensionalists Fourdimensionalism is right in everything it says But incomplete

10 Realist Perspectivalism There is a multiplicity of ontological perspectives on reality, all equally veridical = transparent to reality e.g. perspectives at different granularities

11 Need for different perspectives Not one ontology, but a multiplicity of complementary ontologies Cf. Quantum mechanics: particle vs. wave ontologies

12 Two Orthogonal, Complementary Perspectives SNAP and SPAN

13 Substances and processes exist in time in different ways substance t i m e process

14 Snapshot Video ontology ontology substance t i m e process

15 SNAP and SPAN Substances and processes Continuants and occurrents In preparing an inventory of reality we keep track of these two different categories of entities in two different ways

16 SNAP and SPAN stocks and flows commodities and services product and process anatomy and physiology

17 SNAP and SPAN lobster and growth nation and history population and migration ocean and tide

18 SNAP and SPAN SNAP entities - have continuous existence in time - preserve their identity through change - exist in toto if they exist at all SPAN entities - have temporal parts - unfold themselves phase by phase - exist only in their phases/stages

19 SNAP vs. SPAN 1.SNAP: a SNAPshot ontology of endurants existing at a time 2.SPAN: a four-dimensionalist ontology of processes

20 SNAP vs. SPAN Substances vs. their lives

21 You are a substance Your life is a process You are 3-dimensional Your life is 4-dimensional

22 Change Adding SNAP to the fourdimensionalist perspective makes it possible to recognize the existence of change (SNAP entities are that which endure, providing identity through change) SNAP also provides a perspective point from which SPAN processes can be apprehended as changes

23 Substances do not have temporal parts The first 5-minute phase of my existence is not a temporal part of me It is a temporal part of that complex process which is my life

24 How do you know whether an entity is SNAP or SPAN?

25 Three kinds of SNAP entities 1.Substances 2.SPQR… entities 3.Spatial regions, contexts, niches, environments

26 SPQR… entities States, powers, qualities, roles …

27 Other SPQR… entities: functions, dispositions, plans, shapes SPQR… entities are all dependent on substances relations

28 Spatial regions, niches, environments Organisms evolve into environments Island biogeography Atomic physics Cell biology

29 each SNAP section through reality includes everything which exists at the corresponding now

30 Many SNAP Ontologies t1t1 t3t3 t2t2 here time exists outside the ontology, as an index or time-stamp

31 The SPAN Ontology t i m e

32 here time exists as part of the domain of the ontology The SPAN ontology

33 SNAP ontology many sharp boundaries SPAN ontology many smeered boundaries

34 SNAP entities provide the principles of individuation/segmentation for SPAN entities No change without some THING or QUALITY which changes identity-based change research

35 Ontology of War need both continuants (army, battle- group, materiel, morale, readiness, battlespace …) and occurrents (manoeuvre, campaign, supply, trajectory, death …)

36 t i m e invasion Battalion moves from A to B

37 Each is a window on that dimension of reality which is visible through the given ontology ( … Patrick Hayes … ) SNAP and SPAN ontologies are partial only (Realist perspectivalism)

38 SNAP: Entities existing in toto at a time

39 Three kinds of SNAP entities 1.Substances 2.SPQR… entities 3.Spatial regions, Contexts, Niches

40

41

42 SNAP

43 SPAN: Entities extended in time

44 SPAN: Entities extended in time

45 SPAN: Entities extended in time

46 3-dimensional and 4- dimensional environments Lobsters have evolved into environments marked by cyclical patterns of temperature change

47 Relations between SNAP and SPAN SNAP-entities participate in processes; they have lives, histories.

48 SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations the expression of a function the exercise of a role the execution of a plan the realization of a disposition the application of a therapy the course of a disease

49 SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations function role plan disposition therapy disease SNAP

50 SPQR… entities and their SPAN realizations expression exercise execution realization application course SPAN

51 instruction and operation score and performance

52 SNAP entities provide the principles of individuation for SPAN entities

53 Participation x y substances x, y participate in process B time B x y SNAP-t i. time SPAN B

54 Movement from location x ends begins movement to location y

55 Creation t1 R SNAP-t 1 t2>t1 R SNAP-t 2 process P initiates a, a's birth at t2 a's life overlaps process P

56 Granularity spatial regionsubstance parts of substances are always substances

57 Granularity spatial regionsubstance parts of spatial regions are always spatial regions

58 Granularity process parts of processes are always processes

59 MORAL Relations crossing the SNAP/SPAN border are never part-relations

60 Relations crossing the SNAP/SPAN border are never part-relations John’s life substance John physiological processes sustaining in existence

61 An adequate ontology of geography has to have three components: SNAP GeO SPAN GeO FIELD GeO

62 GeO

63 SNAP GeO

64 SPAN GeO

65 FIELD GeO

66 problem cases traffic jam forest fire hurricane Maria waves shadows