These are the stuff of which expression meanings and utterance meanings are made. These are useful to us in explaining how the Òlogical formsÓ that we provide account for the composition of expression meaning and determination of utterance meaning.
Do not look for precise definitions; beneath each of these terms lurk many philosophical issues which we will not resolve. You may consult an encyclopedia of philosophy for pointers to those.
These are basic Types. Each can be divided up into sub-types or Sorts.
Entity Ð the most general term for a person, place, or thing. Individuated things. Among the various sorts or entities are:
Individuals Ð things taken to be atomic wholes. Human or non-human, animate or inanimate, they are all individuals in the most general sense.
Groups Ð sets of individuals.
Spatial Locations Ð places, regions, spaces where other entities can be located.
Temporal Locations Ð times, points or intervals, at which eventualities can happen or hold.
Eventualities Ð the constituents of situations, a kind of fact. Eventualities are classified by properties. They incorporate complexes of entities in various relations to each other. Eventualities come in several sorts, of which the two most important are:
Events Ð These are dynamic happenings.
States Ð These are static, with nothing happening.
Properties Ð Abstractions by which we classify entities and eventualities by judging the properties True or False of them. The subtypes are properties of entities (of the various sorts) and properties of eventualities.
Propositions Ð The content of statements and issues. They can be judged True or False of situations. We consider them to be descriptions of our beliefs, hopes, and regrets.