Four Category

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The diagram is from E.J. Lowe's work on the Four-Category Ontology. This ontology, a significant contribution to contemporary metaphysics, is discussed in Lowe's book "The Four Category Ontology: a Metaphysical Foundation for Natural Science" published by Oxford University Press.

In this framework, Lowe identifies four fundamental categories:

1. Substantial Universals (Kinds): These are the categories that classify objects into types.
2. Non-substantial Universals (Attributes): These are properties or characteristics that objects can have.
3. Substantial Particulars (Objects): These are individual substances or entities.
4. Non-substantial Particulars (Modes): These are specific instances of properties or attributes that particular objects possess.

These categories are interconnected in what Lowe calls the "Ontological Square," illustrating how attributes characterize kinds, modes instantiate attributes, and objects instantiate kinds.

For more detailed information, you can refer to the Oxford Academic publication and further discussions in various reviews and analyses of Lowe's work on academic platforms【7†source】【8†source】.

References

• The Four Category Ontology: a Metaphysical Foundation for Natural Science

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Backlinks

• Towards Ontological Foundations for Conceptual Modeling the Unified Foundational Ontology Ufo Story
• Ufo Unified Foundational Ontology
• Using a Trope Based Foundational Ontology for Bridging Different Areas of Concern in Ontology Driven Conceptual Modeling
• Unified Foundational Ontology