Ontology facts for kids

Parmenides was among the first to propose an ontological characterization of the fundamental nature of reality

Ontology is the study of what exists and how different types of things are related. It's about understanding the fundamental nature of reality and being.

In philosophy, ontology investigates questions like:

• What are the basic building blocks of reality?
• What is the relationship between physical objects and abstract concepts?
• Are immaterial things like the mind more "real" than material things?

Philosophers have developed different ontological views, such as ontological materialism (which holds that physical, material things are more real) and ontological idealism (which holds that immaterial concepts are more real).

Outside of philosophy, the term "ontology" is also used in a more specific sense in fields like computer science and information systems. In these contexts, an ontology means defining the key concepts, properties, and relationships that exist in that domain.

See also

In Spanish: Ontología para niños