Ontology (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what ontology is, its origin, history and what ontological problems are. Also, who were the most important ontologists.

What is ontology?

Ontology is a branch of philosophy that studies being, understood as the element common to everything that exists. It is also known as “general metaphysics”, because in the past it was part of metaphysics as a philosophical discipline.

Ontology seeks to respond to concerns that go beyond what is achievable in the natural world. In addition to being close to metaphysics, it also rubs shoulders with theology. One of the questions asked is: What do we mean when we say that something “is”?

One of the objectives of ontology is to think about the different ways of classifying being, which are:

Substances
Properties
Relations
States
Events

These categories are related to different ontological concepts, such as the problem of universality, necessity and possibility, among others.

History and etymology of ontology

The term “ontology” comes from the Greek all logosthat means “study of the entity” or “study of what exists”. Its field of study is derived from its etymological origin, which is the study of being as a common characteristic of everything that exists.

Ontology was born mixed with metaphysics Aristotle called first philosophy ontology, which he also called metaphysics. However, and although in its beginning metaphysics studied being in general, ontology underwent several transformations that allowed it to develop its own object of study.

Ontological problems

“Ontological problems” are the problems that arise when trying to define the being and essence of something.

In any case, The most important ontological problem is the question of being. What is being? What is there? What do we mean when we say something is?

At the same time, there are particular ontological problems, in which ontology works with other disciplines such as psychology and epistemology. Some of these problems are:

The universals and the particulars. This problem poses how there can be general characteristics of things that can be exemplified by several particulars. For example, the color red, as a universal characteristic of something, is present simultaneously in tomatoes and strawberries, which are particular things. One way to respond is to propose that the universal “red” exists, independently of the particular.
abstract entities. This problem states that there are two types of objects: concrete and abstract. The question is how to know where the line is that separates abstract reality from concrete reality and, also, when an object becomes one type or another. For example, when two people love each other, how can they know if love occurs in a concrete gesture or is an abstraction that describes what they feel?
The identity. This problem works with the idea of persistence: in what sense can we affirm that two objects, at different times, are the same object? This is called “diachronic identity.”
Mind-body dualism. This problem raises the relationship between mind (or soul) and matter. Are they the same entity? Can they be separated or should they be considered intertwined? Descartes (1596-1650), for example, spoke of dualism to explain the distinction between the material and the mental.
The hole dilemma. This problem works with the idea of a hole as a void in matter, and asks what holes are made of. How can they be perceived, if they are composed of “nothing”? How is it possible that we talk about them as if they were common objects?

Some recognized ontologists

Due to his proximity to metaphysics, it is difficult to define a philosopher as an ontologist per se. However, many thinkers throughout philosophy dedicated themselves to solving or posing ontological problems, on the one hand, and the question of being, on the other.