Kent Lofgren
Kent LofgrenIn a philosophical context 0:28
Why ontology is important 1:08
Ontological materialism 1:34
Ontological idealism 1:59
In a non-philosophical context 2:24
Information systems 2:40
Social ontology 3:25
The word ontology comes from two Greek words: “Onto”, which means existence, or being real, and “Logia”, which means science, or study. The word is used both in a philosophical and non-philosophical context.
ONTOLOGY IN A PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT
In philosophy, ontology is the study of what exists, in general. Examples of philosophical, ontological questions are: What are the fundamental parts of the world? How they are related to each other? Are physical parts more real than immaterial concepts? For example, are physical objects such as shoes more real than the concept of walking? In terms of what exists, what is the relationship between shoes and walking?
Why is ontology important in philosophy?
Philosophers use the concept of ontology to discuss challenging questions to build theories and models, and to better understand the ontological status of the world.
Over time, two major branches of philosophical ontology has developed, namely: Ontological materialism, and ontological idealism.
Ontological materialism
From a philosophical perspective, ontological materialism is the belief that material things, such as particles, chemical processes, and energy, are more real, for example, than the human mind. The belief is that reality exists regardless of human observers.
Ontological idealism
Idealism is the belief that immaterial phenomenon, such as the human mind and consciousness, are more real, for example, than material things. The belief is that reality is constructed in the mind of the observer.
ONTOLOGY IN A NON-PHILOSOPHICAL CONTEXT
Outside philosophy, ontology is used in a different, more narrow meaning. Here, an ontology is the description of what exist specifically within a determined field. For example, every part that exists in a specific information system. This includes the relationship and hierarchy between these parts.
Unlike the philosophers, these researchers are not primarily interested in discussing if these things are the true essence, core of the system. Nor are they discussing if the parts within the system are more real compared to the processes that take place within the system. Rather, they are focused on naming parts and processes and grouping similar ones together into categories.
Outside philosophy, the word ontology is also use, for example, in social ontology. Here, the idea is to describe society and its different parts and processes. The purpose of this is to understand and describe the underlying structures that affect individuals and groups.
Suggested reading
You can read more about ontology in some of the many articles available online, for example:
http://www.streetarticles.com/science/what-is-ontology
Copyright
Text and video (including audio) © Kent Löfgren, Sweden
source
43 Comments
@ShiyrChadash
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMOntology: study of the nature of Being and Existence.
By definition, there can be only one all-inclusive or Absolute Being (Life), in which all relative beings live, move and have their Being.
Love is the conscious recognition (namaste') of our shared Being.
@emperorthylord
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMBasically just creating/perfecting/organization of already established concepts across various fields via interpolation.
@PahriPersonal
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMSimple and clear presentation, thanks!
@lazzy5173
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMInteresting, thank you sir!
@lucyynwang
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you for making this
@OntologicalShock777
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThis is Ontologically Shocking.
@413TomaccoRoad
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMNobody films anything without a film movie camera; it's video recording. That is an example of ontological thinking. aka REALITY.
@davidwu8167
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMYes! Finally! Finally! a video that actually answers my question about what is ontology in a philosophical context and non-philosophical context! I have looked at countless videos, papers, and chatgpt answers, but nothing is as clear as this video.
@Willtext
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PM🤯
@Dev1nci
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you, you provided the exact right amount of information.
@TimeToWorkOutNow
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThanks for the upload. Perhaps providing some specific examples would provide more clarity
@Cannon_Hannon
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMthank you, good sir, your explanation was excellent.
@kabirali2878
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMI have been listening two terms, Ontology & Epistemology for three years yet unable to get a clear explanation.
@Bazravish69
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you. I swear that every popular definition of this concept is deliberately inscrutable and reductive.
@tadessebelete495
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMReally this is the best of the best
@eetherington
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMElegantly explained, thank you
@LeoMadrid
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you!
@jeyarajjeya7080
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMcan you give two examples each of realist, idealist and materialist ontological premises about the social reality.
@Gabriel-qd3vp
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you for this. It was very helpful! ❤
@alansmith2000
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you, sir.
@kennethkunz2449
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMExcellent – thank you!
@mr.james_smith
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMPlease tell me that this speaker's first language is English, and he just spent a lot of time in Germany, or grew up with a German parent! I just find it hard to accept that a person that had to learn English as a second language could speak better (and by better I mean more correct) English than 95% of the American population! Do you know that it seems only those Americans with advanced degrees (post-graduate work and higher) will correctly use the word, "nor."
And I've heard all the arguments that, "language is a living, evolving art." It doesn't matter!
Thank you!
@lucidhooded4147
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMI found a AI poetry reference to ontological anarchism. So I came here to see if I can learn something. Looks like I need to research both words a bit more. This seems like a excellent primer.
@hanimahdi7244
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThanks
@debdasroy5032
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMExcellent indeed
@Garrusvakarian42066
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMWhat is the difference between "ontology" and "epistemology"?
Ontology and epistemology are both considered philosophies because they both include the hypothesis forming stage of establishing theories.
Theories are established descriptions of what things, behaviors, and relationships exist, and what those exist as. Hypotheses are educated (sometimes) speculations and guesses about what things are and how we know that.
Ontology asks what exists and epistemology asks how we know knowledge is valid.
The difference is that ontology is about what things, behaviors, and relationships objectively do exist and exist as, and epistemology is about how humans can say that they can cross the subjective barrier and accurately know that things behaviors and relationships are what they are in an objective way.
The answer is utilizing empiricism and the scientific method.
Yes, that means that some things behaviors and relationships will always be delegated to the philosophical realm and never enter the empirical realm, for the reason that they are not so.
That is because some things exist as actual phenomena and some things only exist inside a human head between their ears as an idea.
@dznyc
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMpltr got me here…
@kimberlyannadams5686
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMWhat kind of questions could you ask regarding the non-philosophical ontology?
This is where I am in my research proposal at the moment.
@tomtillman
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThat's one slippery word. Not many words need a you tube video to define it!
Depends also on the context in which it's used.
@Educationphile
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMvery informative
@irshaad_ally
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThank you
@booyabooya5162
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMMove your mouth away from the mic. The mouth noises are annoying.
@isaiahbraugher9342
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMGreat video, very informative!
@meganjastervid
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMvery clear, appreciated
@pompunpopularpodcast
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMThis was such a clear and concise explainantion. Thank you!
@MrShriniketpatil
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMCould be perceived as a high and low level concept.
@girlinagale
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PM'I see…', said the blind man who couldn't see at all.
@lostfan5054
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMI think I get what ontology is but I'm still not clear on why anyone would discuss it.
@paololim3513
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMI've come across this term for more than seven years trying to distinguish this from epistemology but in all that time, your video is the simplest, most concrete explanation I have ever come across. Well done! Bra jobb och tack!
@nika_cm
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMSo clear, concise and comprehensible. Thank you!
@andystitt3887
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMYou have to have a true definition of existence to know does?
@tzmythos
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMthank you.
@thomasjones9394
02/18/2025 - 8:43 PMWho agrees with this statement? Ontology helps to differentiate between real things, such as your hand in front of your face, and man-made constructs such as mathematics.