Is Extensible Markup Language Perspectivist?

Abstract

Both Extensible Markup Language [XML] and Formal Ontologies [ISOs] have something to do with partitioning. XML partitions data using elements. FOs partition domains using representational primitives. On the basis of the partitioning of FOs, the philosophical debate has outlined an epistemological view about FOs, namely perspectivism. For perspectivism, partitioning a domain means making a mental distinction between those entities on which we focus and those that fall outside our interest. This partitioning provides a perspective on the domain. In Tambassi (2023) it has been argued that perspectivism is an underlying assumption of FOs. In this paper, I investigate whether the same is true of XML: that is, whether and how XML is perspectivist. I begin by defining FOs and presenting the main claims of perspectivism in order to discuss how these claims apply to FOs. Then I move on to XML, showing both the perspectivism of XML and how the claims apply to XML. The purpose is therefore purely speculative. Discussing whether XML is committed to perspectivism may help to clarify some of the theoretical assumptions of this markup metalanguage. More generally, the idea is that since the creators of markup languages develop these languages under the guidance of some theoretical assumptions, for the sake of methodological accuracy these assumptions should be subjected to critical analysis rather than remain implicit and unexamined.

Keywords

• philosophy of language
• perspectivism
• xml
• partitions
• markup languages
• epistemology