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"Well, remember that what an ideology is, is a conceptual framework with the way people deal with reality. Everyone has one. You have to -- to exist, you need an ideology. The question is whether it is accurate or not. And what I'm saying to you is, yes, I found a flaw."

- Alan Greenspan

"This model will be a simplification and an idealization, and consequently a falsification."

- Alan Turing

The Conceptual Modeling Industry

Did you ever wonder about the secret structure of the universe or about the underlying reality and purpose of the world ? If the answer yes, you probably have use a conceptual model of some sort. In fact, there are several gigantic multi-billion dollar industries devoted to the promotion and sale of conceptual models - those industries are Education, Religion, Science and Politics. Did I say multi-billion dollar ? I must have meant to say multi-trillion dollar, at least for the Political industry. In fact, almost everything you can't eat, wear, drive or live in is a conceptual model. It's a very big market.

Joking aside, conceptual models are one of the cornerstones of human condition, arguably the thing that sets us above most of the other animals. Yet, most of us are barely conscious of their existence. This presentation will not fill that void - but it may raise the level of awareness a bit.

The material presented is to some extent academic in nature. However, I have tried to streamline things as much as possible, at times sacrificing rigour and completeness for simplicity and clarity.

For a good example of abductive reasoning see the atricle Alan Greenspan vs. Ayn Rand and Freedom - asserting that the connection between Alan Greenspan and Ayn Rand is being used to blacken her[sic] name ... and where are the snows of yesteryear ?

Also see the Interwiki on Concept Modeling.