Permanent link to this class
IOF Core
loading...| Preferred Name |
capability |
| Synonyms |
ability |
| Definitions |
disposition in whose realization some agent has an interest |
| ID |
https://spec.industrialontologies.org/ontology/core/Core/Capability |
| adapted from |
http://www.ontologyrepository.com/CommonCoreOntologies/Mid/AgentOntology |
| alternative label |
ability |
| definition |
disposition in whose realization some agent has an interest |
| example |
Capability of a person to play chess at the "master" level; of a team to play football in the professional league; of a lathe to turn at maximal speed of 4,000 RPM; or of your digestive system to digest tiramisu. |
| explanatory note |
1. Whereas the BFO term 'disposition refers to all tendencies, powers, habits, skills, potentials, and so forth, that a material entity may possess, a Capability narrows this down by requiring the existence of an Agent that has an interest in the realization of the capability 2. This definition does not attempt to capture "task-based" capabilities that an entity may bear -- e.g., a stone's capability to kill when used by some person. Rather, it captures "proper capabilities." See related discussion of "proper functions" in the literature. 3. All functions are capabilities and in a future release BFO:Function will be asserted directly under capability. 4. Not all capabilities are functions. Capabilities are often added to an artifact by the designer/engineer, or to a biological entity through evolution, as "additional benefits," and are differentiated from function (i.e., purpose). Examples: the air conditioner in your car is a capability but not the function of your car. Yet the function of the car air conditioner certainly forms some material basis of your car's ability to provide a comfortable experience. The ability of your heart to beat fast to support your need to run fast to escape a threat. The decaying stick on the forest lawn does not have the function to be used as a tool, but certainly a chimpanzee may have an interest in using a stick to extract food from a termite mound. |
| first-order logic axiom |
Capability(x) → Disposition(x) |
| is defined by | |
| is primitive |
true |
| label |
capability |
| natural language definition |
disposition in whose realization some agent has an interest |
| prefixIRI |
iof-core:Capability |
| prefLabel |
capability |
| primitive rationale |
This concept will be further developed and formalized in a future release of BFO. |
| semi-formal natural language axiom |
if x is a 'capability' then x is a 'disposition' |
| synonym |
ability |
| subClassOf |
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