CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS - Assignment Example

Conceptual Analysis Conceptual analysis Describe the meaning triangle as a diagramming technique The meaning triangle has been featured by many authors prominently in their works. In the meaning of meaning (1923), Ogden and Richards used the meaning triangle widely. Also, Sowa (1984) used the meaning triangle while analyzing the conceptual graphs. Additionally, it was also used by Marting (1975) to analyze literary texts. As illustrated by the name, the meaning triangle is a diagram shaped inform of a triangle with three nodes. These nodes represent the referent, word and concept. Thus, the meaning triangle’s main function is to aid in illustrating the differences between referents, words and concepts. There is a great deal of conceptual knowledge to be removed from an application even though it seems to be too obvious to figure out. In light of this, the meaning triangle must be used to extract abstract conceptual knowledge by creating distinctions between conceptual, external and verbal entities. Whereas words (lexical objects) refer to the concrete linguistic entities employed in written text or speech (word node), the concepts represent the tools used to help in the thinking process. Therefore, the concept node represents the constructs utilized in building mental images of the world. Lastly, the referent node represents the physical entities or objects that are viewed as being part and parcel of the outside/external world. Thus, apart from being used to aid in the building of better knowledge based entities now, the meaning triangle will be vital in charting out a way for computer based knowledge acquisition.
2. Usefulness of conceptual analysis
Conceptual analysis is vital in various aspects according to Sowa (1984). Therefore, conceptual analysis has made it possible to retrieve arguments and ideas from text. Further, it has demonstrated that individuals should look further beyond keyword indexes so as to encourage and develop their own ideas while in the process of looking for information. Also, it is vital to note that conceptual analysis has bridged and narrowed the gap between artificial intelligence audiences and IR audiences. Further, conceptual analysis was not binded by any single rigid syntactic formula or linguistic theory. As a result, conceptual analysis has been used to explain and express concepts such as cybernetics. Although the early definition of cybernetics was broad and included artificial intelligence, the rapid development of the field brought out the differences between cybernetics and artificial intelligence. However, conceptual analysis has attempted to bridge and lower this gap.
Additionally, conceptual analysis tends to eliminate vagueness and expressive power according to Sowa (1984). Unlike natural languages which can sometimes tolerate a lot of vagueness during the analysis process, artificial languages cannot tolerate any vagueness. This vagueness in most instances does not emanate from natural language but from the fact that individuals have just a little idea or no idea of what they want to speak before the completion of the analysis. Additionally, conceptual analysis is vital since it helps to form a world model. Concepts package reality for processing leading to reasoning. Thus, a group of concepts helps to model the view of the world.
References
Martin, G.d. (1975).Language, truth, and poetry: notes towards a philosophy of literature. Edinburgh university press.
Ogden, C.K. & Richards I.A. (1923). The meaning of meaning (8th edition, 1946). New york: Harcourt, Brace and World.
Sowa, J.F. (1984). Conceptual structures: information processing in mind and machine. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Read More