Talk: Javier Belastegui Lazcano, ILCLI (UPV/EHU)

Title:

An Optimal Natural Classification in Conceptual Spaces

Abstract:

The aim of this talk is to introduce and argue for a model of conceptual spaces that combines features from the Gärdenfors approach based on Euclidean spaces and the Mormann-Rumfitt approach based on polar spaces. The space is used to single out a mathematically well-behaved and philosophically plausible family of regions as representing natural concepts. These regions satisfy several adequacy conditions found in the literature. More specifically, they are topologically closed and convex regions that form a neat algebraic structure. Each of the regions is also uniquely defined from a set of qualities, in such a way that the objects falling under the concept are exactly those sharing the qualities. I will argue that the regions satisfy Goodman’s criterion for Perfect Communities and Douven-Gärdenfors’s Design Principle of Well-Formedness too. Moreover, a geometric result is proven which shows that each natural concept can be represented by a geometric projection, which gives, for every object, the unique object falling under the natural concept that is most similar to it.