Definitions HQ

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a kind of human logic that is different from 'factual knowledge as we generally understand it' (which is called ontics) . For example, ontically, I put away money into savings because the old man who draws it will be the same person as I am now (this is a fact) . But the same scene viewed ontologically, focuses on the fact that the old man will only be the same person as I am now because of the fact that I am saving for his pension (this second viewpoint concerns the almost metaphysical question

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a departure from Husserl and the cartesian tradition in that it substitutes for epistemological questions concerning the relation of the knower and the known, 'ontological' questions concerning what sort of beings we are and how our being is bound up with the intelligibility of the world.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an interest not in how particular entities came about but in the mind-bending fact that there are entities in the first place.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠concerned with being and its understanding. Thus, dasein is distinguished ontically (factually) in that it alone among beings is ontological. Which is to say, it alone understands the being of beings.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠concerned with the idea that our transparent everyday way of coping with the available can be carried on independently of the emergence of a thematically conscious subject.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠concerned with the nature of the understanding of being that is not a representation in the mind corresponding to the world-but a recognition that we simply are.

Ontology (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in fact, really what is usually called epistemology, i.e., the theory of knowledge.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not contemplative but an engagement of human beings in the world which forms the anthropological preparation for the question of being.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a way of looking at everydayness whereby its very proximity puts it farthest from us (something like trying to get away from our own shadow).

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠that theoretical inquiry which is explicitly devoted to the meaning of being.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the curious, astonishing thinking about the fact that I exist.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the general study of beings.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠just the explicit understanding of being, and explicit story about being; it’s an -ology like like the genealogy or geology.

An Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the work of projecting the essence of being in terms of some concept, be it the forms for Plato, monads or Leibniz, or mathematics for Galileo.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the branch of philosophy that deals with the basic structure of being; not viewed from the outside, but in its facticity as a shadowy event, not a lucid visible spectacle.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an inquiry into the taken-for-granted thing itself. It’s a challenge to physicist who measure time without asking what time itself is, or the historian who takes it for granted that the past exists, or the literary critic who assumes that literary texts exist, etc.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a threat to scientists, who operate by ignoring the conceptual foundations of what they do, for it is too uncomfortable to sit on a powder keg, knowing that the basic concepts are just well-worn opinions.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠important to questioning the conceptual basis of science (i.e. in biology, we can describe the functioning of an organism, but what is life?).

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠(as the questioning of conceptual basis) inescapably relevant to all human beings because we simply cannot help being involved in the question of Being, like it or not.

Ontology (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a philosophical investigation of Being.