A mereotopological investigation of borders: A study in formal ontology

• Main Author: Palces, Krizna Rei M.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/370
• Institution: De La Salle University

In formal ontology, the terms boundaries and borders are interchangeable. Their usage and definition are assumed to be completely identical. The studys task is to challenge that assumption. The study provides an investigation of their distinction. The author explains this distinction using naive argumentation and formal ontology, and demonstrates it in terms of usage and reference. A distinction between their orientation and symmetry is also provided. This study holds that a border is an entity which: coincides with the boundaries of the wholes it dissects must coincide in either total or incongruent fashion and is not a proper part of anything. The dissertation explores the property relations of borders, such as location, parthood, boundaries, ontological dependence, and kinds and argues for the following: first, a border is located at the same space that the coinciding boundaries of the wholes they dissect are located second, a border is not a part of the whole nor the latters boundaries third, a wholes boundaries are also not parts of any border. and fourth, borders arise only in social fiats and not in individual fiats.