Propositional
Attitude Vocabulary
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Last
Update: 12/13/02
Copyright© 1996-2002. All rights reserved. See Terms of Usage.
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Goals
#$Goal goal
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
Typically, this attribute characterizes
relationships holding between Cyc formulas and a particular
agent when the formula describes a state of affairs that the
agent intends to take steps to actualize, i.e., when
actualizing the state of affairs is a goal of the agent.
However, it might also be seen as an attribute of the
relationship between the agent and the static situation
depicted by that cyc formula (see #$StateFn). This is the
most general goal attribute and should be used only when one
is unable to specify more exactly what kind of goal the
relevant state of affairs is for an agent.
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direct instance of:
#$AttributeValue
#$Individual
#$subGoals sub goals
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(#$subGoals G SUB)
means that SUB is a subordinate goal of G. In other words,
SUB is an intermediate objective or milestone to be
accomplished in the course of pursuing the overall #$Goal G.
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direct instance of: #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate
#$TransitiveBinaryPredicate
#$goals objective
(propositional attitude predicate) (mental
predicate) (extensional representation predicate)
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$goals
AGENT SENT) means that the proposition PROP expressed by the
sentence SENT is the content of a goal that AGENT has. That
is, one of AGENT's goals is that PROP be made (or kept)
true. Goals are typically future-directed : either (i) PROP
is not currently true (or at least is believed by AGENT not
to be currently true) and AGENT wants it to become true or
(ii) PROP is currently true (or at least is believed by
AGENT to be currently true) and AGENT wants it to remain
true. Also, AGENT intends to play some sort of active role
in bringing about the truth of PROP, and plans accordingly.
This distinguishes goals from mere desires or expectations
(see #$desires
and #$expects).
See also #$Goal and #$goalCategoryForAgent.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of: #$hasOpinionAsToTruthOf #$desires
#$purposeInEvent purpose
in event
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$purposeInEvent
AGENT EVENT SENT) means that AGENT takes part in EVENT
deliberately (see #$deliberateActors),
and does so because both (1) AGENT wants the #$Proposition
(q.v.) expressed by SENT to be (or become) true and (2)
AGENT believes that EVENT's occurring will make (or help to
make) this happen.
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
Intent
#$intends intent
(propositional attitude predicate) (mental
predicate) (extensional representation predicate)
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
This predicate can be used to state some particular
thing that a given intelligent agent intends or has in mind
as a purpose, represented as a propositional attitude. (#$intends AGENT
SENT) means that AGENT intends the proposition PROP
expressed by SENT to become (or remain) true. This implies
that AGENT believes s/he has at least some degree of
influence or control over bringing about (or maintaining)
the truth of PROP. While this predicate is obviously similar
to #$goals (q.v.),
AGENT's intending PROP is likely to be more short-term and
event-centered ( I did it because I intended that... ) and
more mechanically satisfied ( I intend to turn off the lamp
) than any of AGENT's goals. You may intend to turn off the
lamp, but it would be odd to call that one of your goals.
For a similar predicate that represents intending in
relation to types of temporal situations, see #$intends-SitType.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of:
#$desires
Desires
#$desires desire
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$desires AGT
PROP) means that the #$Agent AGT desires that
the world be as the proposition PROP (represented by a #$ELSentence-Assertible)
describes it to be. #$desires is
implied by #$goals, but is
weaker: PROP might be some desirable state of affairs that
the agent is not actively working, or planning, to make/keep
true; e.g., #$WorldPeace. See also #$goals and #$intends.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of: #$positiveInterest-Prop
#$hasEmotionAboutProposition
Expectation
#$Expectation expectations
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The collection of microtheories whose propositions
represent what some #$Agent (or #$Group of #$Agents) believes will
be true at some future time.
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direct instance of:
#$MicrotheoryType
#$ObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$Microtheory
#$expects expected
(#$expects AGT
PROP) means that AGT believes it highly likely that PROP
will be true at some time in the future.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of: #$hasOpinionAsToTruthOf
Beliefs
#$BeliefSystemType belief
system types
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The collection of all the kinds of #$BeliefSystems
-- religious, philosophical, political, ethical, cultural,
and scientific. Some elements of this collection include #$Religion,
#$PhilosophyBeliefs, etc. The most general member of this
set is #$BeliefSystems (qv).
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direct instance of: #$SecondOrderCollection
direct specialization of: #$FirstOrderCollection
#$BeliefSystem belief
systems (AIT) (things that exists in time)
A specialization of #$AbstractInformationalThing.
Each instance of #$BeliefSystem
is an ideology (systems of belief) in terms of which an
agent characterizes (i.e., makes sense of) the world.
Instances of #$BeliefSystem
include: #$VegetarianBeliefs, #$GermanNaziIdeology,
#$RepublicanPartyIdeology, #$CommunistIdeology,
#$PacifistIdeology, #$Atheism, etc. See also #$ClassificationSystem.
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direct instance of:
#$BeliefSystemType
direct specialization of:
#$AbstractInformationalThing #$TemporalThing
direct generalization of: #$ReligiousBeliefs
#$beliefStatements belief statements
(#$beliefStatements
SYSTEM BELIEF) means that the belief expressed by the #$ELSentence-Assertible
BELIEF is part of the #$BeliefSystem
SYSTEM. Note that #$BeliefSystems
-- ideologies in terms of which agents make sense of the
world -- are instances of #$AbstractInformationalThing
(q.v.). In order to relate a belief to an actual #$Agent who believes it,
see the predicate #$beliefs.
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direct instance of:
#$IntangibleObjectRelatingPredicate #$BinaryPredicate
#$beliefs belief
(#$beliefs AGENT
SENT) means that the #$Agent AGENT subscribes
to the truth of the proposition PROP expressed by SENT (an
#$ELSentence-Assertible).
Note that PROP might or might not actually be true. See also
the predicate #$beliefStatements,
which relates a belief to a #$BeliefSystem.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of: #$hasOpinionAsToTruthOf
#$thinksProbable
#$hasBeliefSystems belief
system (binary predicate) (CycL predicate) (relationship)
This predicate relates intelligent agents to
belief-systems (such as religions, philosophical schools,
political theories, etc.) that they accept. (#$hasBeliefSystems
AGENT SYSTEM) means that AGENT holds the #$BeliefSystem
SYSTEM. For example, (#$hasBeliefSystems
BorisYeltsin #$RussianOrthodoxReligion) holds.
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direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
direct specialization of:
#$knowsAbout
#$subBeliefSystem sub
belief system
This predicate relates belief systems to more
specialized belief systems. (#$subBeliefSystem
BSYS SUB) indicates that SUB is a more specialized branch of
belief system BSYS. Thus the #$beliefStatements
of SUB will be a superset of the #$beliefStatements
of BSYS (sometimes with a few changes and deletions.) Some
examples of this are: (#$subBeliefSystem
#$Islam #$ShiiteIslam), which means that Shiite Islam is a
specialized belief system with respect to Islam; (#$subBeliefSystem
#$ProtestantReligion #$PresbyterianReligion), which means
that Presbyterianism is a specialized form of Protestantism;
and (#$subBeliefSystem
#$MilesianSchoolBeliefs #$AnaximandersPhilosophy), which
means that Anaximander's philosophical beliefs comprise one
variety of Milesian School belief.
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direct instance of: #$AsymmetricBinaryPredicate
#$TransitiveBinaryPredicate
direct specialization of: #$temporallyRelated
Opinion
#$ExchangeOfOpinion discussing
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
Elements are #$Conversation s in which two or more
people make known to each other some of their #$beliefs in a
serious discussion.
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direct instance of: #$HumanCapabilityType #$TemporalObjectType
direct specialization of: #$Conversation
#$opinions opinion
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$opinions AGENT
PROP) implies that (i) AGENT believes PROP is true, but (ii)
the evidence AGENT has for PROP falls short of justifying
his/her belief in PROP. Since (#$opinions AGENT
PROP) implies that AGENT's belief in PROP is not fully
justified, #$opinions is a #$negationPreds
of #$knows (q.v.).
Note that (#$opinions AGENT
PROP), unlike (#$knows AGENT PROP),
does not imply that PROP is true, although it also does not
imply that PROP is false (since an agent can have a true
belief, even if the evidence available to that agent does
not justify that belief).
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of:
#$beliefs
Knowledge
#$knows knows
(#$knows
AGENT PROP) means that AGENT (an instance of #$IntelligentAgent)
knows PROP (an instance of #$ELSentence-Assertible).
(#$knows AGENT
PROP) implies that (i) the proposition PROP is true, (ii)
AGENT believes the proposition PROP, and (iii) AGENT is
justified in believing PROP.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of:
#$beliefs
#$knowsAbout knew
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$knowsAbout
AGENT THING) means that the #$IntelligentAgent
AGENT knows something about THING . This predicate
represents more than simple awareness, but exactly what is
known -- the content of AGENT's knowledge about THING -- is
not specified. For example, (#$knowsAbout
#$MichaelJordan #$Basketball-TheGame). Note: many
commonsense rules can conclude (#$knowsAbout
AGENT THING) -- e.g., those having to do with AGENT's
occupation, college degrees, city of residence,... in fact,
almost any assertion about AGENT can lead to presumptions
that he/she probably #$knowsAbout
something. #$knowsAbout in
turn can serve (weakly) in arguments about whether or not
AGENT #$knows
(q.v.) specific common assertions involving THING, and in
arguments about whether or not AGENT #$knowsValue
(q.v.) of some particular predicate applied to THING, etc.
See also #$expertRegarding.
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direct instance of: #$CognitiveAwarenessPredicate
#$IntangibleObjectPredicate
direct specialization of: #$awareOf
#$knowsValue knows value
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$knowsValue
AGENT X PRED) means that, if (PRED X VAL) is true, then the
#$IntelligentAgent
AGENT knows that (PRED X VAL); i.e., (#$knows AGENT (PRED
X VAL)).
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$knowsContentsOfMt knows
contents of mt
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$knowsContentsOfMt
?AGT ?MT) means that the #$Agent ?AGT knows the
propositional contents of the #$Microtheory ?MT.
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direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
Other
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot propositional
attitude predicates
An instance of #$PredicateCategory. Each instance
of #$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
is a binary predicate relating an agent to a proposition to
which the agent bears a certain propositional attitude
(e.g., belief, doubt, or knowledge). The first argument
place of each #$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
is constrained to instances of #$Agent-Generic, while the
second argument place is constrained to instances of #$ELSentence-Assertible.
Instances of #$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
include #$goals,
#$beliefs,
#$knows, and
#$expects.
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direct instance of: #$PredicateCategory
#$AtemporalNecessarilyEssentialCollectionType
direct specialization of: #$PropositionPredicate #$MentalSlot
#$notices notices
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$notices AGT
PROP) means that AGT believes the proposition PROP because
AGT has seen, heard, smelled, etc. PROP via some instance of
#$Perceiving.
Although (#$notices AGT
PROP) implies (#$beliefs AGT
PROP) {via the assertion (#$genlPreds #$notices #$beliefs)},
exceptions occur if AGT believes they have been
hallucinating or drugged, for example. The predicate #$beliefs, unlike
#$notices,
can include propositions gathered through inferring,
dreaming, intuiting. The temporal extent of (#$notices AGT
PROP) is at least a 'short time' following the perceiving of
PROP. The extent of this time is a function of the type of
fact perceived or noticed, when forgetting or other
overriding information comes into play.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of:
#$beliefs
#$biases bias
(propositional attitude predicate) (mental
predicate) (extensional representation predicate)
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$biases AGT PROP)
means that the #$Agent AGT has the
unsubstantiated belief PROP (represented by a #$ELSentence-Assertible).
Biases generally are so deeply rooted in the agent that the
agent may not be consciously aware that PROP is rationally
undersupported, and it may be concomittantly harder to
change their mind about PROP. Note: PROP might or might not
turn out to be true (in various contexts); often, PROP is
some overgeneralization which is sometimes true but often
false, or which once was true but now is usually false, etc.
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direct instance of:
#$PropositionalAttitudeSlot
direct specialization of:
#$opinions
#$intendedForUseBy intended
for use by
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$intendedForUseBy
PROD TYPE) means that the #$Product PROD is intended to be
used by individuals of the #$ExistingObjectType
TYPE, where TYPE must be a subcollection of #$Organism-Whole.
E.g., many types of products are only for use by adults, by
women, by dogs, etc. Note: This is a good example of a
predicate which is redundant but useful. `Redundant' means
that any assertion one states using #$intendedForUseBy
could be stated, albeit less tersely, using other, more
basic predicates in the KB, in this case #$intends and
#$usesObject. Often, a huge number of axioms can be
drastically shortened by introducing such a redundant
predicate, and writing axioms that define it in terms of the
more-basic predicates.
guid: c0fde228-9c29-11b1-9dad-c379636f7270
direct instance of: #$BinaryPredicate
Copyright© 1996-2002. All rights reserved. See Terms of Usage.