ATLAS OF LANGUAGE

AT-NAV-G04-022 · ATLAS 259

Ontology

Ontology investigates what kinds of being a theory recognises and how they are fundamentally related.

Part of the subject path Argumentation, Logic and Discourse

Why is this entry in the Atlas?

G · Foundational concept R2 · Necessary foundation

Ontology examines what kinds of entities, processes and relations a description presupposes. A particular taxonomy is one way of representing such commitments, not a substitute for examining them.

Colours and admission grounds

The rectangular label identifies the entry function: F – linguistic figure or procedure; A – analytical concept; G – foundational concept; E – selected concrete case. The rounded badge indicates the admission ground: R1 – distinctive contribution; R2 – necessary foundation; R3 – justified illustrative case. This editorial rationale explains the current selection rather than claiming an undocumented original selection history.

Explanation

Ontology investigates what kinds of being a theory recognises and how they are fundamentally related. An account may distinguish objects, properties and events; another may draw different boundaries or deny their fundamental status. In the category-mistake context, the issue is whether an attribution presupposes a category to which its subject does not belong. Grammatical correctness does not settle that question. Philosophical ontology also differs from a technical ontology understood as an explicitly modelled conceptual system. A data model may embody ontological commitments without proving that the world is organised exactly as its schema suggests.

Movement of thought

1. Identify the entities presupposed. 2. Distinguish fundamental categories. 3. Make their relations explicit. 4. Test the classification through problematic attributions. 5. Compare alternative ontologies.

Scientific use case

Conceptual analysis can expose the existential commitments needed by an explanatory model.

Example

Asking about the weight of a promise may be meaningful metaphorically; a literal question about its mass requires explanation of the category assignment.

Counterexample

A database class named Event does not establish that every philosophical theory treats events as independent entities.

Distinction

Distinguish ontology from an inventory, grammar, technical taxonomy and a conclusively proven world order.

Effect on thought and perception

Ontology makes foundational descriptive choices visible.

Resonance

Before ordering things, we have usually decided what may count as a thing.

Provenance

Parallel corpus 98f0950771ae4662f291d2f15f5c51b6797f3c20ba458a68615cdb177002ea18; case-bounded source review accepted; human specialist review not claimed.

Cite this entry

Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Ontology“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-NAV-G04-022. ATLAS 259, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G04-022

https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-NAV-G04-022

The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. Editorial reading state: 2026-10-15. Include your access date for precise references.