Ontology (or Metaphysics) What exists? What is? What’s real?

…ology = the study of Onto-logiaThat which is…the study of (Ontology) Episteme-logiaKnowledge…the study of (Epistemology) Theo-logiaGod…the study of (Theology) Bios-logiaLife…the study of (Biology) Kinesis-logiaMovement…the study of (Kinesiology) Ideo-logieIdeas…the study of (Ideology) Anthropos-logiaHumanity…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 fights Lawsuits Wars Oppression and destruction of whole cultures Huge wastes of time, money, and energy Mental illness

Obeying God John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings 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 John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: 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 God John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: God told me to kill my wife and kids!

Warm up exercise What’s This? Clothes Horse

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 Things

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 NaturalMentalSpiritual treeideasdeceased ancestors houseemotionsgods planetmemoriesghosts cellperceptionsauras sound wavelanguagemagic electronimaginationskarma hydrogen sulfidedreamssoul human bodymoralsenlightenment gravityattitudesevil spirits 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. NaturalMentalSpiritual

Some versions of 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

Love A Poetic MysteryA Simple Chemical Reaction

Some versions of 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 Idealism by Joel Cosson

Some versions of Spiritualism Some philosophies believe physical, 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. Physical Mental Spiritual

Spiritual: Religion

Spiritual: Holistic Health

Spiritual: New Age meditation channeling crystal healing astral projection psychic experience holistic health simple living environmentalism earth mysteries ancient astronauts extraterrestrial life unidentified flying objects crop circles reincarnation seances mediums etc.

Some versions of Skepticism Some philosophies believe that we cannot 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

Some versions of 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

Some versions of 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?