ontology
English meaning: Ontology
English Definition
(English)Ontology (from Greek: ontos = being + logos = study) is the most fundamental branch of metaphysics. It asks: What is there? What does it mean to be? Key ontological positions include materialism (only physical things exist), idealism (mind or consciousness is fundamental), and dualism (mind and matter are separate). Ontological commitments shape all scientific and philosophical enquiry.
English Definition
The branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of being, existence, and reality — asking what kinds of things exist and what it means for something to exist. Core questions include: Does God exist? Are abstract objects real? What is the nature of consciousness?
Example
“The ontological argument for God's existence — advanced by Anselm and Descartes — claims that the very concept of a perfect being entails its existence.”
In English: “Anselm's ontological argument claims God must exist because existence is part of perfection.”
Synonyms
- metaphysics
- theory of being
Antonyms / Opposites
- epistemology
- ethics
Literary Heritage
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning.”
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