Ontology

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ontology

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary philosophical domain?Metaphysics, concerned with the nature of being and reality
2. What is the core ontological dichotomy?Particulars (unique entities) vs. Universals (general properties/concepts)
3. Why do people study ontology?People study ontology to understand the most basic rules of what can exist. Knowing these rules helps scientists, mathematicians, and even computer programmers think clearly about the world.
4. What is the difference between a particular and a universal?A particular is a single, unique thing, like Socrates or a specific apple. A universal is a general idea or property that many things share, like the color red or the idea of being human.

Being: The state or fact of existing; the totality of all that is, in any sense of the word 'is'.
Particular: An individual instance or entity that is unique and cannot be replicated.
Universal: A property, quality, or relation that can be instantiated by multiple particulars.
Metaphysics: The branch of philosophy that deals with the first principles of things, including abstract concepts such as being, knowing, substance, identity, time, and space.