Ontology(or Metaphysics)

What exists?

What is?

What’s real?

…ology = the study of

• Onto-logia That which is…the study of (Ontology)

• Episteme-logia Knowledge…the study of (Epistemology)

• Theo-logia God…the study of (Theology)

• Bios-logia Life…the study of (Biology)

• Kinesis-logia Movement…the study of (Kinesiology)

• Ideo-logie Ideas…the study of (Ideology)

• Anthropos-logia Humanity…the study of (Anthropology)

What really exists?Is this…

A silly question

because the answers are so obvious!

A practical question

because the answers

have rather

important

implications!

Let’s keep in mind that…

Errors and disagreements about the nature of reality have, do, and will continue to result in ----------------------

Arguments and fightsLawsuitsWarsOppression and

destruction of whole cultures

Huge wastes of time, money, and energy

Mental illness

Obeying God

Love thy neighbor…

Loving the neighbor also involves serving their needs and providing for their good. Every time we do our job or our daily tasks with thoughtfulness and care we are loving our neighbor because we are providing for their needs in one way or another. Everything we do that is of some benefit to another person or that gives another person happiness and joy is loving our neighbor.

Obeying God

Isreal…the Holy Land, the Promised Land

The Jewish religious belief that the area is a God-given inheritance of the Jewish people is based on the Torah, especially the books of Genesis and Exodus, as well as the Prophets. According to the Book of Genesis, the land was promised by God to the descendants of Abraham through his son Isaac and to the Israelites, descendants of Jacob, Abraham's grandson.

Obeying GodGain martyrdom by slaying infidels who attack Muslims

Warm up exercise

What’s This?

Clothes Horse

Warm up exercise

Is this real?

Warm up exercise

Is this real?Miwok or Ohlone Indian sacred burial site at the Hidden Oaks subdivision in Lafayette, CA

Ontology is…

the study of the nature of being, existence or reality as such, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.

A Challenging Ontological Exercise

Creating Categories of Like Thingstrees black holes love

desks language cells

ideas ghosts dreams

sin Jesus Christ sound waves

a web site fear memories

fun germs evil spirits

yesterday gods death

the mind dog souls gravity

electromagnetic fields computer software free will

evil magic hearts

your grandmother's mother enlightenment fantasies

sounds grace brains

auras smells pencils

consciousness grass Cesar Chavez

fetuses pictures telepathy

a coatrack team spirit morality

hate personalities justice

karma I earth

God redness a dog

attitudes angels Virgin of Guadalupe

astrology the Vietnam War reincarnation

Professor Larkin atoms 100 miles

human souls curiosity race

north depression anger

heaven and/or hell corn the universe

One Ontological Category Scheme

A. Physical Objects (a house, a tree)

B. Minds (thoughts, emotions, memories, imaginations)

C. Classes (set of all planets, set of all females)

D. Properties (redness, heaviness, stickiness)

E. Relations (sitting on, taller than, next to)

F. Space and Time (far away, long ago, soon, yesterday, east)

G. Propositions (snow is white, philosophy is fun)

H. Events (Maria acted in the play)

For Discussion

A Simplified Ontological Scheme

Material Mental Spiritualtree ideas deceased ancestors

house emotions gods

planet memories ghosts

cell perceptions auras

sound wave language magic

electron imaginations karma

hydrogen sulfide dreams soul

human body morals enlightenment

gravity attitudes evil spirits

etc. etc. etc.

The field of philosophy offers many different theories or points of view on the nature of

these categories of reality, and on the relationships between them.

Material Mental Spiritual

Materialism or Naturalism

• Some philosophies believe that only physical objects or matter and energy are real; that even mental creations are simply detectable and measurable changes in the brain and body; and, that spiritual things are merely another type of construction by the mind.

Physical Matter and Energy

Materialism or Naturalism

Materialism or Naturalism

What is Love?

A Poetic Mystery? A Simple Chemical Reaction?

Idealism

• Some philosophies believe that all reality exists only in our minds; the material and spiritual worlds have no objective or independent existence or reality beyond our mental ideas, feelings, or images about them.

Mental Constructs

Idealism

Idealism: Plato’s Cave

Wilma learns about Idealismby Joel Cosson

Spiritualism

• Some philosophies believe material, mental, and spiritual things are all very real; but, they do not exist in separate categories; rather, they are interactive elements within a single integrated reality.

Material Mental Spiritual

Spiritual: Religion

Spiritual: Holistic Health

Spiritual: New Age

~meditation ~channeling

~crystal healing ~astral projection ~psychic experience

~holistic health ~simple living ~environmentalism

~extraterrestrial life

~unidentified flying objects

~crop circles ~ reincarnation

~seances ~mediums

~chanting ~singing bowls

etc. etc.

Spiritualism

Supernatural forces, beings, and places are real, and they are interactive with humans.

• They are not material things that can be measured or weighed.

• They are not created by our minds nor dependent on our minds to exist.

What is a Centaur?

Skepticism

• Some philosophies doubt that we can know what exists or is real; our primary means of knowing (senses, minds, hearts) are simply too deceptive, too confused, and too unreliable to allow for any certainty about existence or reality.

? ? ? ? ?

Skepticism

Social Constructionism

• Some philosophies believe that, in the final analysis, what really exists is whatever the most influential and powerful groups in society say really exists.

Social Constructs

Are These

Social Constructs?

• Gender Roles?

• Race?

• California Mission History?

• Evolution?

• Global Warming?

• Islamic Extremism

Existentialism

• Some philosophies believe that the issue of ultimate existence is irrelevant; all that really matters is what each person believes exists, and how those beliefs affect his or her personal life.

Personal Construction

Existentialism

So, is Existence or Reality…

• Only Physical Matter? (Materialism)

• All Mental Constructs? (Idealism)

• An Integrated Physical/Mental/Spiritual Whole? (Spiritualism)

• Unknowable? (Skepticism)

• Defined by Each Society’s Elite? (Social Constructionism)

• Whatever Each Individual Thinks It Is? (Existentialism)

• Something Else Entirely?