Roles
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Cyc has many ways of representing and considering the
capacities of an entity--object or agent--to participate in a
situation. Many of the following capability predicates refer to #$ActorSlots.
Capacities
#$representsAgentInEvent represents
agent in event
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$representsAgentInEvent
REPRESENTATIVE AGENT EVENT) means that REPRESENTATIVE is an
agent who represents AGENT in the temporal situation EVENT.
It is not uncommon for the same REPRESENTATIVE to represent
multiple agents in the same EVENT, e.g. when someone is
appointed to represent the interests of a group.
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$actsInCapacity acts
in capacity
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$actsInCapacity
indicates the capacity in which an agent participates in
certain kinds of actions. (#$actsInCapacity
AGENT ROLE SCRIPT-TYPE CAP) means that the agent AGENT plays
the role ROLE in instances of SCRIPT-TYPE, and s/he does
that role in the capacity CAP. CAP is a #$CapacityAttribute
(q.v.) which describes the AGENT's mode of
participation--e.g., as a job, hobby, main function, support
function, etc. Contrast three cases of acts of
#$GreetingSomeone, when #$performedBy: (1)
instances of #$Receptionist, in their #$JobCapacity and
as their #$MainFunction;
(2) instances of #$FlightAttendant, in their #$JobCapacity but
as a #$SupportFunction; and (3) instances of
#$TrainEngineer, in a #$HobbyCapacity (though they do it
while working, it's not part of their job).
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direct instance of: #$QuaternaryPredicate
#$actorCapacity actor capacity
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$actorCapacity
is used to indicate the capacity in which some entity
participates in a particular event or situation. (#$actorCapacity
ENTITY SIT CAP) means that ENTITY has an (unspecified) role
in SIT with the #$CapacityAttribute
CAP. An important use of #$actorCapacity
is with the capacity attributes #$MainFunction
or #$IntendedFunction
to state that a device is serving its #$primaryFunction
or intended function (i.e., #$intendedBehaviorCapable)
in a certain situation.
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$CapacityAttribute capacity attribute
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
A specialization of #$AttributeValue.
Each instance of #$CapacityAttribute
is an attribute representing a specific capacity in which an
agent does an action. For example, an action might be done
as an agent's job (#$JobCapacity) or
hobby (#$HobbyCapacity), as its main function (#$MainFunction)
or an auxiliary function (#$SupportFunction).
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direct instance of:
#$ObjectType
direct specialization of:
#$AttributeValue
#$IntendedFunction intended function
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
An instance of #$CapacityAttribute.
The attribute #$IntendedFunction
characterizes something participating in a situation as
doing so in accordance with its intended function.
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direct instance of:
#$AttributeValue
#$Individual
#$MainFunction main function
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
One of the attributes which characterize the
capacity in which some agent does a kind of action. #$MainFunction
indicates that an agent does a certain type of action as its
main function (rather than, say, as a hobby). #$MainFunction
can be used to indicate the function that an organization
was created to do; e.g., the #$MainFunction
of the #$USBorderPatrol is #$Patrolling the U.S. border. See
#$actsInCapacity.
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direct instance of:
#$AttributeValue
#$Individual
#$JobCapacity job capacity
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**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
the attribute of performing something as a job
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direct instance of:
#$AttributeValue
#$Individual
Capability
#$behaviorCapable behavior capable
The predicate #$behaviorCapable
is used to indicate that an object (an instance of #$SomethingExisting)
can play a role (an instance of #$BinaryRolePredicate) in a
type of situation (a specialization of
#$Situation-Temporal). (#$behaviorCapable
OBJ SIT-TYPE ROLE) means that OBJ is able to play ROLE in a
situation of type SIT-TYPE. Note that OBJ may or may not
have been designed to function in that way (see the
specializations of #$behaviorCapable,
#$primaryFunction
and #$intendedBehaviorCapable).
Moreover, #$behaviorCapable
does not imply that OBJ can unquestionably act in that way
in every such situation, since extrinsic factors may prevent
it from doing so; for example, if OBJ is a tool, it may be
in the wrong location or operated by a person lacking the
requisite skills. Examples: (intended capability) a hammer
is #$behaviorCapable
of being the #$deviceUsed
in instances of #$HammeringANail; (unintended capability) an
inner tube is capable of being the #$deviceUsed
in instances of people #$FloatingInLiquid.
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direct instance of: #$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
#$CapabilityPredicate-InstanceLevel
#$IndividualLevelPredicate
#$intendedBehaviorCapable intended
behavior capable
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$intendedBehaviorCapable,
a specialization of #$behaviorCapable,
is used to describe the functions an existing thing is
capable of and was designed to serve. (#$intendedBehaviorCapable
OBJ SITTYPE ROLE) means that the individual, OBJ, can play
the role ROLE in situations or events of type SITTYPE, and
that OBJ is intended by its designer to play role ROLE in
situations or events of type SITTYPE. Any designed existing
thing can have more than one #$intendedBehaviorCapable
(whereas, in contrast, designed existing things typically,
with some exceptions, have just one #$primaryFunction).
For example, a wall calendar is #$intendedBehaviorCapable
of being hung on a wall, and is #$intendedBehaviorCapable
of being legible; an instance of #$VacuumCleaner can serve
both as the #$deviceUsed
in instances of #$Vacuuming and (in virtue of its
#$VacuumDustBag) as a #$containerUsed.
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direct instance of: #$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
direct specialization of:
#$behaviorCapable
#$primaryFunction primary function
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$primaryFunction,
a specialization of #$intendedBehaviorCapable,
is used to indicate the typical use which an agent designed
an existing thing to serve. (#$primaryFunction
OBJ SITTYPE ROLE) means that OBJ is primarily intended by
its designer to participate in situations of the type
SITTYPE in the role ROLE (see also #$intendedBehaviorCapable).
Examples: the #$primaryFunction
of an instance of #$MammographyProvider is to be the #$providerOfService
in instances of #$MammographicBreastCancerScreening; the #$primaryFunction
of a #$Pump-Mechanical is to be the #$providerOfMotiveForce
in instances of #$ConveyingMaterials. Typically, any
designed existing thing will have just one #$primaryFunction,
but some might have multiple #$primaryFunctions
(a good example is a clock radio, which can have both the #$primaryFunction
of displaying the time and the #$primaryFunction
of converting radio waves into audible sounds at
pre-programmed intervals). In #$SimpleDeviceFunctioningMt,
it is assumed that every instance of #$PhysicalDevice
has only one primary function.
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
direct specialization of:
#$primaryFunction-AgnosticIntentional #$intendedBehaviorCapable
#$requiresForRole requires
for role
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$requiresForRole
SIT COL ROLE) means that success of the #$Situation SIT
depends upon the existence of an instance of the collection
COL playing the role ROLE in SIT. Compare this predicate to #$requiresRole-SitType.
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$capableOf capability
This predicate can be used to assert that an agent
is fully able to carry out a certain role in a certain type
of situation. (#$capableOf AGENT
SITTYPE ROLE) means that AGENT is able to perform ROLE in
#$Situations of the type SITTYPE. This entails that AGENT is
qualified in all the relevant ways to fill that ROLE; i.e.
AGENT is #$physicallyCapableOf playing that ROLE in
instances of SITTYPE -- and, given that AGENT is the
appropriate sort of #$Agent -- is also #$anatomicallyCapableOf,
#$fiscallyCapableOf,
#$legallyCapableOf,
and #$skillCapableOf
playing that ROLE in SITTYPEs.
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direct instance of: #$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
#$CapabilityPredicate-InstanceLevel
direct specialization of:
#$behaviorCapable
#$physicallyCapableOf
#$legallyCapableOf legally
capable of
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$legallyCapableOf
indicates that an agent is legally able to take a certain
role in a certain type of action. (#$legallyCapableOf
AGT SIT-TYPE ROLE) means that the individual AGT is legally
qualified and/or entitled to act in this ROLE in
#$Situations of the type SIT-TYPE. For example, a person
over 35 years of age is #$legallyCapableOf
becoming #$UnitedStatesPresident.
This notion of legal capability should not be confused with
the legality or illegality of an action;
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direct instance of: #$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
#$anatomicallyCapableOf anatomically
capable of
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$anatomicallyCapableOf
indicates that an agent is anatomically able to take a
certain role in a certain type of situation or event. (#$anatomicallyCapableOf
AGENT SIT-TYPE ROLE) means that an individual #$Animal AGENT has
the anatomical prerequisites (natural or prosthetic) to act
in this ROLE in normal instances of SIT-TYPE. For example,
to express that Karen is capable of walking, Cyc would say
(#$anatomicallyCapableOf
Karen #$WalkingOnTwoLegs #$performedBy).
AGENT may or may not have the skills (or other
prerequisites) for actually doing a SIT-TYPE. #$anatomicallyCapableOf
entails that AGENT satisfies the relevant #$anatomicalResourceRequired
constraint--e.g., for Karen's #$WalkingOnTwoLegs, that she
has two legs (natural or prosthetic). As a default, Cyc
concludes that animals who have the #$anatomicalParts
needed for a certain kind of activity are #$anatomicallyCapableOf
that activity--for example, that people who have arms and
legs are #$anatomicallyCapableOf
swimming; those conclusions would be overridden by the
additional information that a person was paralyzed.
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direct instance of:
#$CapabilityPredicate-InstanceLevel
#$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
#$skillCapableOf skill
capable of
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
This predicate can be used to assert that a given
animal agent has the ability to play a certain role in a
certain type of #$SkilledActivity (q.v.). (#$skillCapableOf
ANIMAL ACTTYPE ROLE) means that ANIMAL has the necessary
skills to act in ROLE in normal instances of ACTTYPE. For
example, that #$Gumby can swim is expressed by (#$skillCapableOf
#$Gumby #$Swimming-Generic #$performedBy). #$skillCapableOf
entails that ANIMAL satisfies any anatomical or intellectual
prerequisites for possessing or exercising the skill; but it
is neutral as to whether ANIMAL has the necessary resources
of time, money, opportunity, etc., to use the skill in any
particular instance of ACTTYPE.
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direct instance of:
#$CapabilityPredicate-InstanceLevel
#$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
direct specialization of: #$learnedCapableOf
#$fiscallyCapableOf fiscally
capable of
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$fiscallyCapableOf
indicates that an agent has the economic prerequisites
needed for taking a certain role in a certain type of
situation or event. (#$fiscallyCapableOf
AGT SIT-TYPE ROLE) means that a particular #$Agent AGT has the
financial resources for acting in this ROLE in normal
instances of SIT-TYPE. For example, we could say that Mary
is #$fiscallyCapableOf
being the #$buyer
in a #$Buying of
a Humvee (i.e., (#$BuyingFn Humvee)). However, #$fiscallyCapableOf
is noncommittal as to whether Mary does or will in fact buy
a Humvee.
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direct instance of: #$SituationTypeTernaryPredicate
#$CapabilityPredicate-InstanceLevel
Helping And Harming
#$helpfulActions helpful actions
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$helpfulActions
is used to indicate that an agent engaged in a particular
effort would (normally) increase the chances of success in
that effort by taking a certain role in events of a certain
kind. (#$helpfulActions
ENDEAVOR SIT-TYPE ROLE DEGREE) means that the #$PurposefulAction
ENDEAVOR would (normally) be helped along if its agent
participated as described by ROLE in a situation of the type
SIT-TYPE. DEGREE is an instance of #$GenericQuantity used to
give an estimate of how helpful such an occurrence would be
for succeeding in ENDEAVOR. For example, for an agent trying
to win in a football or soccer game, performing instances of
#$InterceptingAPass contributes to a #$HighToVeryHigh degree
to success in that game.
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direct instance of: #$QuaternaryPredicate #$FunctionalPredicate
#$harmfulActions harmful actions
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$harmfulActions
is used to indicate that an agent engaged in a particular
effort would (normally) diminish the chances of success in
that effort by taking a certain role in events of a certain
kind. (#$harmfulActions
ENDEAVOR SIT-TYPE ROLE DEGREE) means that the #$PurposefulAction
ENDEAVOR would (normally) be hindered if its agent
participated as described by ROLE in a situation of the type
SIT-TYPE. DEGREE is an instance of #$GenericQuantity used to
give an estimate of how damaging such an occurrence would be
to the success of ENDEAVOR. For example, for an agent trying
to win in a football game, fumbling the ball disadvantages
the agent to a #$HighToVeryHigh degree.
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direct instance of: #$QuaternaryPredicate
#$harmfulProposition harmful proposition
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$harmfulProposition
is used to state a condition that, if true, would (normally)
diminish an agent's chances of success in a particular
effort. (#$harmfulProposition
ENDEAVOR PROP DEGREE) means that if the #$ELSentence-Assertible
PROP is true, then AGENT (who is referred to in PROP) will
(normally) be hindered in achieving the #$PurposefulAction
ENDEAVOR. DEGREE is a #$GenericQuantity giving an estimate
of how damaging such an occurrence would be to the success
of ENDEAVOR. For example, in a basketball game, it's
normally very detrimental if one or more of the team's
players is shorter than the average adult. Thus, for any
particular game, a #$HighToVeryHigh degree of disadvantage
is indicated if the following #$harmfulProposition
(expressed in #$CycL) is true: (#$heightOfObject
PLAYER-X (#$GenValueFn #$heightOfObject
#$HumanAdult
#$VeryLow). (Rohrbaugh, 2/1998)
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$helpfulProposition helpful proposition
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$helpfulProposition
is used to state a condition that, if true, would (normally)
increase an agent's chances of success in a particular
effort. (#$helpfulProposition
ENDEAVOR PROP DEGREE) means that if the #$ELSentence-Assertible
PROP is true, then AGENT (who is referred to in PROP) will
(normally) be helped in achieving the #$PurposefulAction
ENDEAVOR. DEGREE is a #$GenericQuantity giving an estimate
of how helpful such an occurrence would be to the success of
ENDEAVOR. For example, in a basketball game, it's normally
helpful if one or more of the team's players is alot taller
than the average adult. Thus, for any particular game, a
#$High degree of advantage is indicated if the following #$helpfulProposition
(expressed in #$CycL) is true: (#$heightOfObject
PLAYER-X (#$GenValueFn #$heightOfObject
#$BasketballPlayer #$VeryHigh). (Rohrbaugh, 3/1998)
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direct instance of: #$TernaryPredicate
#$successfulForAgents successful
for agents
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$successfulForAgents
is used to indicate that a particular agent achieves its
goal in a particular action. (#$successfulForAgents
ENDEAVOR AGT) means that the #$Agent AGT is
successful in accomplishing the #$PurposefulAction
ENDEAVOR. This means that each of the purposes AGT had in
doing ENDEAVOR has come true. See also #$purposeInEvent.
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direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$performedBy
#$failureForAgents failure
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$failureForAgents
is used to indicate that a particular agent fails to achieve
(at least one of) its goals in a particular action. (#$failureForAgents
ENDEAVOR AGT) means that the #$Agent AGT had some
purpose in performing ENDEAVOR that was not realized. See
also #$purposeInEvent.
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direct instance of:
#$ActorSlot
direct specialization of:
#$performedBy
#$beneficiary beneficiary
(binary role predicate)
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
(#$beneficiary ACT
AGT) means that the #$Agent AGT benefits
from the performance of the action ACT. Some desire or
interest of AGT is served, enabled, helped, or satisfied by
the performance of ACT.
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direct instance of: #$BinaryRolePredicate
#$eventHonors honoree
(binary role predicate)
(#$eventHonors
OCCURRENCE AGENT) means that the #$Agent AGENT is honored
or commemorated by the #$SocialOccurrence
OCCURRENCE. If AGENT is a living #$Person, then (#$eventHonors
OCCURRENCE AGENT) usually implies that AGENT is present at
OCCURRENCE. Note that this is the appropriate predicate for
relating a #$Funeral to the deceased person for whom the
#$Funeral is in honor.
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direct instance of: #$BinaryRolePredicate
direct specialization of: #$highlyRelevantInEvent
#$maleficiary maleficiary
(binary role predicate)
(#$maleficiary
EVENT AGENT) means that the #$Agent AGENT is harmed
by the occurrence of the #$Event EVENT. That is,
the interest or welfare of AGENT is thwarted, blocked, or
harmed in EVENT.
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direct instance of: #$BinaryRolePredicate
#$objectsInContact objects
in contact
**COMMENT NOT REVIEWED**
**GAFs NOT REVIEWED**
The predicate #$objectsInContact
indicates that two different objects physically touch in a
particular #$PhysicalContactSituation.
(#$objectsInContact
SIT OBJ-1 OBJ-2) means that OBJ-1 and OBJ-2 are in contact
in the #$PhysicalContactSituation
SIT. For example, a #$ClothingItem
and its #$wearer
are #$objectsInContact
during the wearing. A father and son in a
#$CarryingPiggyback event are #$objectsInContact.
(#$objectsInContact
SIT OBJ-1 OBJ-2) entails (#$holdsIn SIT (#$touches OBJ-1
OBJ-2)); #$touches covers
both direct touching and touching indirectly (i.e., through
a thin layer, e.g., through clothing).
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direct instance of: #$PartiallyCommutativeRelation
#$SpatialPredicate
#$Role
#$TernaryPredicate
Copyright© 1996-2002. All rights reserved. See Terms of Usage.