Towards A Unified Definition of Function
Mizoguchi Riichiro, Yoshinobu Kitamura, Stefano Borgo · Frontiers in artificial intelligence and applications · 2012
Both natural objects and artifacts have been studied from a variety of perspectives by the different sciences. One issue that has so far resisted philosophical and ontological investigations is the definition of a general notion of function capable of making sense of the functions attributed to natural objects, such as biological organisms, as well as of the functions attributed to artifacts, such as (designed) tools.