Ontology

:This article discusses ontology in philosophy. For the term in computer science, see ontology (computer science).

Early history of ontology

The concept of ontology originated in early Greece and occupied Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle described ontology as "the science of being qua being". The word 'qua' means 'in the capacity of'. According to this theory, then, ontology is the science of being inasmuch as it is being, or the study of beings insofar as they exist. Take anything you can find in the world, and look at it, not as a puppy or a slice of pizza or a folding chair or a president, but just as something that is. More precisely, ontology concerns determining what categories of being are fundamental and asks whether, and in what sense, the items in those categories can be said to "be".

Related Topics:
Greece - Plato - Aristotle - Categories of being

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