Dear Robert,
The model you suggest may be quite useful as a specialization of what I
describe. Systematically, as we model historical reality and not planned
behaviour, I have concerns about a model that restricts anticipation to
an ideal. This is a fundamental principle of CRM modelling, and should
be carefully considered.
The social contract is, to my opinion, only a possible initiator of an
obligation.
I would question "Exchange" as a so general activity. I think it is not
necessary. I think it becomes a reality only in immediate interactions
without a formal contract. I would not follow legal considerations that
an implicit contract always comes into being when I buy something on the
market. Then exchange makes a sense to me. If a formal contract is in
place, the type of the contract will determine if it is a plan to
exchange. Throughout the CRM, we differentiate plans from reality. We
need to determine, if "exchange" is a plan, or an accomplished fact.
In the model I propose, "provision" is an accomplished fact.
Provisions may be made that do result in obligations that are never
fulfilled. In the economic crises, all kinds of disruptions in loans
occur, cancellations included.
Gifts do not cause obligations. Something may be provided, and
afterwards be declared as a gift.
Exchange can never be guaranteed. What would be the identity condition
of "exchange"? a terminated obligation, with at least one provision from
both sides? How do I recognize an exchange?
Taxes are obligations without exchange. I would not go into theoretical
considerations of a "social contract" always being in place. That would
overstretch historical reality, e.g., in an occupied medieval country.
Generally, any model creating a triangle of three interdependent classes
creates a closed world and must be wrong. There should be obligations
without provisions, provisions without obligations, obligations without
contracts, contracts without provisions etc.
I would not agree that "provision" can be any activity. "Provision" is a
clear bilateral action with a beneficiary, and a social good.
If I write a manuscript in order to provide it to a publisher, my
writing is not a provision, because I may hide it. The fact that many
activities may be associated with a provision to someone can be modelled
either with a two-stage process or multiple instantiation.
Thoughts?
Best,
Martin
On 6/13/2019 1:51 PM, Robert Sanderson wrote:
Currently in SOC, the Social Contract is the point where the
activities that fulfill Obligations connect.
Instead, it would be useful if there was an Exchange activity that
consisted of the establishment of the Social Contract, and all of the
provision Activities.
In the attached diagram, there is the simple case of paying for
something. The new class so:Exchange is an Activity that encapsulates
the provisioning activities and the agreement to make the exchange.
Its duration is the entire duration of the fulfillment of the
obligations. It might, therefore, include many such provisions – such
as paying monthly installments as separate payments.
It clarifies that the Social Contract is the activity of agreeing upon
the terms of the exchange and thus can be temporally bounded
separately from the provisions and the exchange itself.
For example, I agree with the bank to pay the cost of my house plus
interest over 30 years. That agreement takes place at the beginning
of the exchange. I then take custody of the house and pay monetary
amounts every month towards reducing my mortgage. Interest from the
bank then increases the amount to be paid back. Eventually, I pay off
the house and take full ownership of the property.
This 30 year period is thus a very long running Exchange, consisting
of many activities.
This also means that you can have an Exchange where you do not know
about the Contract and Obligations, but you do know about the
provisioning Activities.
No new properties are needed to get to this degree of modeling, as P9
is sufficient for asserting that the different activities are part of
the overall Exchange.
This would then pave the way for more specific types of Exchange, such
as P2_has_type Mortgage, or Sale, or Sale-by-Auction, etc. It would
also potentially allow for gifts and bribes that do not have
Obligations or Contracts, per the Obligation scope notes.
Auction of a Lot of 3 paintings would then consist of a payment and
three Acquisitions. The Acquisitions do not individually have
payments, as the obligation is that one payment will result in the
acquisition of all three paintings.
Rob
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Information Systems Laboratory
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