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I think we have to look to Alan Kay for an original definition, since he invented the term, and according to him, inheritance is not a necessary part of object orientation. In Smalltalk (and various Lisps), inheritance is something that is created from objects and messages, not a fundamental feature of the language. In [one place](http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~ram/pub/pub_jf47ht81Ht/doc_kay...) he defines it as "OOP to me means only messaging, local retention and protection and hiding of state-process, and extreme late-binding of all things."



Alan Kay's definition of OO has drifted over the years as he tries to exclude any language that is not Smalltalk.

He is free to do that, but we have no need to play along.


This is the fruitful definition of OOP to me. None of that Java Corporate insanity




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