Is Barry Smith's ontology too abstract for practical use?
Some may perceive formal ontologies as overly abstract, but I argue their very abstractness is what grants them broad applicability and power. By focusing on fundamental categories and relations, ontologies can serve as a common, precise language for diverse domains. The goal is not to replace domain-specific knowledge but to provide a foundational structure that allows for the integration and interoperability of that knowledge across different systems and applications, facilitating more sophisticated reasoning.
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