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Encyclopedia of Ontology: The Study of Being, Existence, and Reality
A reference on all known conceptions of reality and existence across civilizations, sciences, and emerging technological futures.
The Purpose of Ontology
Metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology are deeply interdependent branches of philosophy, each addressing a different but inseparable dimension of human inquiry. Ontology, often regarded as a core part of metaphysics, investigates what exists and the fundamental categories of being, while metaphysics examines the broader nature, structure, and principles of reality, including causation, space, time, identity, and possibility.
Epistemology complements these inquiries by asking how we can know what exists, what justifies our beliefs about reality, and what limits constrain human knowledge. Any ontological claim about the existence of objects, minds, universals, or God presupposes epistemological assumptions regarding evidence, perception, reason, or testimony, while epistemological theories themselves often depend upon metaphysical and ontological views concerning the nature of truth, consciousness, and reality.
Together, the three disciplines form a unified philosophical framework: ontology asks what exists, metaphysics asks what reality is like, and epistemology asks how we know it. Their continuous interaction has shaped philosophical thought from ancient Greek, Indian, and Chinese traditions to contemporary debates in science, artificial intelligence, and the philosophy of information.
The Encyclopedia of Ontology provides a comprehensive exploration of being, existence, reality, identity, substance, causation, and the fundamental structure of the world. It examines how different philosophical traditions, religious systems, scientific theories, and contemporary disciplines have addressed the question: What exists?
Ontology is among the oldest branches of philosophy and forms the metaphysical foundation upon which epistemology, logic, ethics, theology, science, mathematics, and social theory are built. This encyclopedia traces the historical evolution of ontological thought from ancient civilizations to contemporary debates concerning artificial intelligence, virtual realities, information systems, and cosmology.
Volume I: Foundations of Being: History, Concepts, and Classical Ontologies
Synopsis
Volume I introduces the fundamental questions of ontology:
- What does it mean to exist?
- What kinds of things exist?
- Is reality composed of substances, processes, relations, or events?
- Are universals real?
- What is the difference between appearance and reality?
The volume surveys the historical development of ontological inquiry across ancient, medieval, and early modern traditions while introducing the principal concepts that continue to shape metaphysical debates.
Outline
Part A. Introduction to Ontology
- Nature and Scope of Ontology
- Being and Existence
- Reality and Appearance
- Categories of Being
- Substance and Attribute
- Identity and Difference
- Essence and Existence
- Ontological Commitment
Part B. Ancient Origins
- Ontological Ideas in Ancient Egypt
- Mesopotamian Conceptions of Reality
- Vedic Ontologies
- Upanishadic Conceptions of Being
- Jain Ontology
- Buddhist Ontology
- Chinese Conceptions of Reality
- Confucian Ontology
- Daoist Ontology
Part C. Greek Foundations
- Pre-Socratic Ontology
- Parmenides and Being
- Heraclitus and Becoming
- Atomism
- Socrates and Reality
- Platoโs Theory of Forms
- Aristotleโs Categories
- Substance in Aristotle
- Hellenistic Ontologies
Part D. Medieval Ontologies
- Augustine
- Neoplatonism
- Islamic Ontology
- Avicenna
- Averroes
- Jewish Metaphysics
- Scholastic Ontology
- Thomas Aquinas
- Universals Debate
Part E. Early Modern Ontology
- Renรฉ Descartes
- Substance Dualism
- Spinozaโs Monism
- Leibnizโs Monadology
- Locke and Substance
- Berkeley and Idealism
- Hume and Identity
- Kant and the Conditions of Being
Part F. Fundamental Ontological Debates
- Monism
- Dualism
- Pluralism
- Materialism
- Idealism
- Realism
- Anti-Realism
- Essentialism
- Nominalism
Volume II: Structures of Reality: Categories, Relations, and Metaphysical Systems
Synopsis
Volume II investigates the architecture of reality itself. It examines the categories through which existence is understood and explores the entities, relations, properties, processes, and structures that constitute the world.
The volume bridges classical metaphysics with contemporary analytic ontology and philosophy of science.
Outline
Part A. Categories of Existence
- Ontological Categories
- Particulars
- Universals
- Abstract Objects
- Concrete Objects
- Events
- Processes
- States of Affairs
Part B. Substance and Property
- Substance Theory
- Bundle Theory
- Properties
- Relations
- Tropes
- Dispositions
- Powers Ontology
Part C. Identity and Persistence
- Personal Identity
- Numerical Identity
- Qualitative Identity
- Persistence Through Time
- Endurantism
- Perdurantism
- Essential Properties
- Accidental Properties
Part D. Space, Time, and Reality
- Nature of Space
- Nature of Time
- Presentism
- Eternalism
- Four-Dimensionalism
- Space-Time Ontology
- Temporal Parts
- Change and Permanence
Part E. Causation and Dependence
- Causation
- Determinism
- Indeterminism
- Necessity
- Contingency
- Grounding
- Dependence Relations
- Emergence
Part F. Possibility and Modal Reality
- Modal Ontology
- Possible Worlds
- Necessity and Possibility
- Counterfactuals
- Modal Realism
- Modal Anti-Realism
- Fictional Entities
- Imaginary Objects
Part G. Contemporary Metaphysical Systems
- Process Ontology
- Structural Realism
- Ontic Structural Realism
- Event Ontology
- Relational Ontology
- Information Ontology
- Naturalized Metaphysics
Volume III: Applied, Scientific, Social, and Emerging Ontologies
Synopsis
Volume III explores how ontology functions in modern intellectual life. It examines ontological questions arising in science, technology, social theory, law, medicine, environmental studies, and artificial intelligence.
The volume demonstrates that ontology is not merely an abstract philosophical discipline but a framework shaping how contemporary societies classify and understand reality.
Outline
Part A. Scientific Ontologies
- Ontology of Physics
- Matter and Energy
- Quantum Ontology
- Fields and Particles
- Cosmological Ontology
- Biological Ontology
- Species and Natural Kinds
- Systems Ontology
Part B. Mind and Consciousness
- Mind-Body Problem
- Consciousness
- Mental States
- Intentionality
- Self and Personhood
- Phenomenology
- Embodied Existence
- Cognitive Ontology
Part C. Social Ontology
- Social Reality
- Institutions
- Collective Intentionality
- Social Kinds
- Race and Ontology
- Gender Ontology
- Cultural Ontology
- Political Ontology
Part D. Language and Conceptual Reality
- Names and Existence
- Reference
- Meaning and Reality
- Linguistic Ontology
- Conceptual Schemes
- Hermeneutic Ontology
- Narrative Identity
Part E. Applied Ontologies
- Legal Ontology
- Medical Ontology
- Economic Ontology
- Educational Ontology
- Environmental Ontology
- Urban Ontology
- Organizational Ontology
Part F. Information and Digital Ontologies
- Information as Being
- Computational Ontology
- Data Ontology
- Knowledge Representation
- Semantic Web Ontologies
- Digital Objects
- Virtual Reality
- Metaverse Ontology
Part G. Artificial Intelligence and Future Reality
- Machine Ontology
- Artificial Agents
- Human-AI Relations
- Algorithmic Entities
- Autonomous Systems
- Synthetic Persons
- Posthuman Ontology
- Future Ontologies
Part H. Global and Comparative Ontologies
- African Ontologies
- Indigenous Ontologies
- Buddhist Concepts of Being
- Jain Concepts of Reality
- Confucian Ontology
- Daoist Ontology
- Islamic Ontology (Contemporary)
- Latin American Ontologies
- Comparative Ontology
- Planetary Ontology
The Modern ontology has become a meeting ground for metaphysics, science, religion, mathematics, information science, anthropology, ecology, and artificial intelligence.
Volume IV: Metaontology
Metaontology examines the nature and methodology of ontology itself.
Topics:
- What is an ontological question?
- How are ontological disputes settled?
- Quantification and existence
- Ontological commitment
- Ontological parsimony
- Ockhamโs Razor
- Conceptual engineering
- CarnapโQuine debates
- Deflationary ontology
- Neo-Aristotelian ontology
Metaontology increasingly functions as the โphilosophy of ontology.โ
Volume V: Fundamental Ontology
Associated especially with Martin Heidegger.
Topics:
- Being versus beings
- Dasein
- Temporality
- Being-in-the-world
- Ontological difference
- Authenticity
- Historicity
- Care (Sorge)
This tradition influenced existentialism, hermeneutics, and continental philosophy.
Volume VI: Ontology of Mathematics
Questions include:
- Do numbers exist
- Are mathematical objects discovered or invented?
- What is the ontological status of infinity?
Topics:
- Platonism
- Mathematical realism
- Fictionalism
- Structuralism
- Set-theoretic ontology
- Category-theoretic ontology
- Infinity
- Abstract objects
- Mathematical Philosophy
Topics:
- Numbers
- Geometrical Objects
- Structures
Question: Do mathematical entities exist independently of human thought?
Volume VII: Religious and Sacred Ontologies
Most encyclopedias treat these only historically, but they deserve systematic treatment.
Topics:
- Divine Being
- God and existence
- Creation
- Angels
- Souls
- Spiritual entities
- Sacred space
- Sacred time
- Eschatological realities
Comparative sections:
- Hindu ontology
- Buddhist ontology
- Jain ontology
- Christian ontology
- Islamic ontology
- Jewish ontology
- Indigenous sacred ontologies
Volume VIII: Ecological Ontology
A rapidly growing field.
Topics:
- Nature and existence
- Ecological being
- Deep ecology
- Gaia hypothesis
- More-than-human worlds
- Environmental realism
- Animal ontology
- Plant ontology
- Ecosystem ontology
Key question: What kinds of entities constitute the living world?
Volume XI: Ontology of Technology
Increasingly important since the twentieth century.
Topics:
- Technological objects
- Machines
- Artifacts
- Infrastructure
- Digital entities
- Technological mediation
- Cybernetic systems
- Autonomous technologies
Links strongly to AI and information science.
Volume X: Information Ontology
One of the fastest-growing ontological fields.
Topics:
- Information as reality
- Informational structures
- Digital existence
- Data objects
- Semantic entities
- Computational worlds
- Virtual entities
- Digital twins
Associated with contemporary philosophers such as Luciano Floridi.
Ontology of Artificial Intelligence
Potentially an entire section by itself.
Topics:
- Artificial agents
- Machine personhood
- Synthetic minds
- Artificial consciousness
- Computational existence
- Autonomous systems
- Robot ontology
- Hybrid human-machine entities
- Digital selves
Questions include: Can a machine genuinely exist as a person?
Volume XI: Ontology of Social Reality
Greatly expanded in recent decades.
Topics:
- Institutions
- Money
- Corporations
- Governments
- Nations
- Social facts
- Collective intentionality
- Social identities
Associated with the work of John Searle.
Ontology of Culture
Topics:
- Traditions
- Myths
- Symbols
- Rituals
- Collective memory
- Heritage
- Civilizational identities
- Cultural artifacts
This area connects ontology with anthropology and history.
Ontology of Personhood
A major interdisciplinary field.
Topics:
- Human person
- Selfhood
- Identity
- Consciousness
- Embodiment
- Gender
- Agency
- Moral personhood
- Posthuman personhood
Ontology of Death and Non-Existence
Often overlooked but philosophically central.
Topics:
- Death
- Nothingness
- Absence
- Negation
- Non-being
- Extinction
- Void
- Annihilation
Beginning with Parmenides, debates over non-being have remained central to ontology.
Comparative Civilizational Ontologies
Instead of treating traditions merely as historical chapters, compare their ontological assumptions.
Indic Ontologies
- Brahman
- ฤtman
- Dharma
- Karma
- Prakriti
- Purusha
Chinese Ontologies
- Dao
- Qi
- Yin-Yang
- Heaven and Earth
African Ontologies
- Vital force
- Ancestors
- Communal being
- Relational existence
Indigenous Ontologies
- Animism
- Kinship cosmologies
- Land-based realities
- Multi-species worlds
Future Ontology
Topics:
- Posthuman existence
- Space civilization ontology
- Extraterrestrial intelligence
- Virtual civilizations
- Simulated realities
- Planetary consciousness
- Synthetic life
- Digital immortality
Central question: What kinds of beings may exist in the future that do not exist today?
Volume XII: Ontologyโs Deep Structure
Most treatments organize ontology around entities (things that exist). A more comprehensive approach organizes it around the major dimensions of being.
Ontology of Being
Fundamental questions:
- What is being?
- Why is there something rather than nothing?
- Is existence a property?
- Can non-being be thought?
Core entries:
- Being
- Existence
- Non-Existence
- Becoming
- Reality
- Presence
- Absence
- Nothingness
- Possibility
- Actuality
This becomes the deepest layer of the encyclopedia.
Ontology of Categories
Every civilization classifies reality differently.
Core entries:
- Categories
- Substance
- Attribute
- Relation
- Event
- Process
- State
- Object
- System
- Structure
Cross-links:
Aristotle โ Categories
Buddhism โ Processes
Modern Physics โ Fields
Information Science โ Structures
Ontology of Objects
Questions:
- What is an object?
- When does an object begin and end?
- Are objects fundamental?
Subdivisions:
Physical Objects
- Stones
- Mountains
- Rivers
- Organisms
- Artifacts
Abstract Objects
- Numbers
- Sets
- Laws
- Propositions
Social Objects
- Nations
- Corporations
- Universities
- Money
Digital Objects
- Files
- Databases
- Avatars
- Digital Identities
Ontology of Properties
A surprisingly vast area.
Topics:
- Universals
- Particulars
- Tropes
- Qualities
- Powers
- Capacities
- Dispositions
Question: Do redness, beauty, or intelligence exist independently of things?
Ontology of Relations
Many modern philosophers argue relations are more fundamental than objects.
Topics:
- Relations
- Networks
- Dependencies
- Interactions
- Systems
- Structures
Cross-links:
Quantum Physics
Systems Theory
Ecology
Social Networks
Artificial Intelligence
Ontology of Process
Instead of asking what things are, process philosophers ask what things become.
Key figures:
- Heraclitus
- Alfred North Whitehead
- Henri Bergson
Topics:
- Process
- Becoming
- Change
- Flux
- Development
- Evolution
This is increasingly influential in biology and ecology.
VOLUME XIII: Ontology of Nature
Cosmological Ontology
Topics:
- Universe
- Multiverse
- Space
- Time
- Matter
- Energy
- Dark Matter
- Dark Energy
Geological Ontology
Topics:
- Earth Systems
- Landscapes
- Geological Time
- Planetary Processes
Biological Ontology
Topics:
- Life
- Organism
- Species
- Evolution
- Ecosystems
VOLUME XIV: Ontology of Life
One of the oldest unresolved questions.
Topics:
- Living Being
- Organism
- Vitalism
- Emergence
- Biological Individuality
- Species
Question:
What distinguishes life from non-life?
VOLUME XV: Ontology of Mind
Perhaps the largest contemporary area.
Topics:
- Consciousness
- Self
- Mind
- Thought
- Experience
- Intentionality
- Agency
- Free Will
Cross-links:
Psychology
Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence
Phenomenology
VOLUME XVI: Ontology of Human Existence
Distinct from philosophy of mind.
Topics:
- Personhood
- Identity
- Embodiment
- Mortality
- Freedom
- Meaning
- Alienation
- Authenticity
Major traditions:
- Existentialism
- Phenomenology
- Religious Anthropology
VOLUME XVII: Ontology of Society
An enormous field today.
Topics:
- Institutions
- Law
- Property
- Markets
- Governments
- Nations
- Communities
- Social Roles
Question:
Are societies real entities or merely collections of individuals?
VOLUME XVIII: Ontology of Culture
Topics:
- Myth
- Ritual
- Tradition
- Language
- Symbols
- Collective Memory
This links ontology with anthropology and history.
VOLUME XIX: Ontology of Knowledge
An area often separated into epistemology but ontologically important.
Topics:
- Knowledge as Entity
- Information
- Meaning
- Truthmakers
- Facts
Question:
Do facts exist independently of minds?
VOLUME XX: Ontology of Values
Often neglected.
Topics:
- Goodness
- Beauty
- Justice
- Rights
- Duties
Question:
Do values exist objectively?
This connects ontology with ethics and aesthetics.
VOLUME XXI: Ontology of Religion
One of the oldest forms of ontology.
Topics:
- God
- Divine Being
- Soul
- Spirit
- Angels
- Demons
- Sacred Reality
- Afterlife
Comparative sections:
- Hindu Ontology
- Buddhist Ontology
- Christian Ontology
- Islamic Ontology
- Indigenous Ontologies
VOLUME XXII: Ontology of Language
Topics:
- Meaning
- Reference
- Signs
- Symbols
- Texts
- Narratives
Question: What kind of thing is a word?
VOLUME XXIII: Ontology of Artificial Entities
Likely to become one of the largest future sections.
Topics:
- Artificial Agents
- Robots
- Virtual Persons
- Digital Minds
- Synthetic Consciousness
- Autonomous Systems
Question:
Can an artificial entity possess genuine existence?
VOLUME XXIV:Ontology of Virtual Worlds
A field barely imaginable before the late twentieth century.
Topics:
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Metaverse
- Digital Twins
- Online Communities
- Simulated Worlds
Question:
Are virtual entities less real than physical entities?
VOLUME XXV: Ontology of the Future
Potentially the encyclopediaโs most distinctive contribution.
Space Ontology
- Extraterrestrial Life
- Planetary Civilizations
- Cosmic Intelligence
Posthuman Ontology
- Cyborgs
- Human Enhancement
- Mind Uploading
- Synthetic Biology
Existential Ontology
- Long-Term Future
- Human Survival
- Civilizational Persistence
Speculative Ontology
- Simulated Universes
- Alternate Realities
- Artificial Worlds
- Unknown Forms of Being
Sarvarthapedia Knowledge Web: Master Philosophical Nexus
Metaphysics
Central Question:
What is the fundamental nature of reality?
See also:
- Ontology
- Epistemology
- Being
- Reality
- Existence
- Substance
- Identity
- Causation
- Space
- Time
- Possibility
- Necessity
Ontology
Central Question:
What exists?
See also:
- Metaphysics
- Being
- Existence
- Reality
- Categories
- Objects
- Properties
- Relations
- Processes
- Events
- Identity
Epistemology
Central Question:
How do we know what exists?
See also:
- Knowledge
- Belief
- Truth
- Justification
- Evidence
- Rationality
- Perception
- Experience
- Testimony
- Skepticism
Foundational Triangle
Metaphysics โ Ontology
Ontology โ Epistemology
Epistemology โ Metaphysics
Reality โ Existence โ Knowledge
Being โ Truth โ Justification
Being and Existence Cluster
Being
Core Hub
See also:
- Existence
- Reality
- Becoming
- Presence
- Absence
- Essence
- Identity
- Substance
- Non-Being
Existence
See also:
- Being
- Reality
- Actuality
- Possibility
- Necessity
- Ontological Commitment
- Categories of Being
Reality
See also:
- Appearance
- Truth
- Objectivity
- Existence
- Being
- Metaphysics
- Realism
Non-Being
See also:
- Nothingness
- Absence
- Negation
- Becoming
- Possibility
Becoming
See also:
- Change
- Process
- Time
- Evolution
- Emergence
Categories of Reality Cluster
Categories
See also:
- Substance
- Attribute
- Relation
- Event
- Process
- Object
- Structure
- System
Substance
See also:
- Essence
- Property
- Object
- Identity
- Aristotle
- Substance Theory
Property
See also:
- Universals
- Tropes
- Qualities
- Powers
- Attributes
Relation
See also:
- Networks
- Structures
- Dependencies
- Systems
- Social Reality
Event
See also:
- Process
- Change
- Time
- Causation
Process
See also:
- Becoming
- Event
- Evolution
- Process Ontology
- Emergence
Objects and Entities Cluster
Object
Master Classification Hub
See also:
- Physical Objects
- Abstract Objects
- Social Objects
- Digital Objects
- Properties
- Identity
Physical Objects
See also:
- Matter
- Organism
- Space
- Time
- Physics
Abstract Objects
See also:
- Numbers
- Sets
- Logic
- Mathematics
- Universals
Social Objects
See also:
- Institutions
- Money
- States
- Law
- Collective Intentionality
Digital Objects
See also:
- Data
- Algorithms
- Virtual Reality
- Artificial Intelligence
- Information
Identity and Persistence Cluster
Identity
See also:
- Difference
- Personhood
- Self
- Persistence
- Essence
Personal Identity
See also:
- Self
- Consciousness
- Memory
- Embodiment
- Narrative Identity
Persistence
See also:
- Time
- Change
- Endurantism
- Perdurantism
Essence
See also:
- Substance
- Essentialism
- Identity
- Existence
Space, Time, and Cosmos Cluster
Space
See also:
- Time
- Cosmology
- Matter
- Universe
- Space-Time
Time
See also:
- Change
- Becoming
- Persistence
- History
- Eternity
Universe
See also:
- Cosmological Ontology
- Matter
- Energy
- Space
- Time
Cosmological Ontology
See also:
- Universe
- Multiverse
- Dark Matter
- Dark Energy
- Planetary Ontology
Causation and Modal Reality Cluster
Causation
See also:
- Determinism
- Explanation
- Change
- Dependence
- Emergence
Necessity
See also:
- Possibility
- Modal Ontology
- Essentialism
- Laws of Nature
Possibility
See also:
- Possible Worlds
- Counterfactuals
- Future Ontologies
- Non-Being
Modal Ontology
See also:
- Possible Worlds
- Necessity
- Possibility
- Fictional Entities
Mind and Consciousness Cluster
Mind
See also:
- Consciousness
- Self
- Intentionality
- Thought
- Experience
Consciousness
See also:
- Mind
- Self
- Phenomenology
- Cognitive Ontology
- Artificial Consciousness
Self
See also:
- Personal Identity
- Consciousness
- Agency
- Embodiment
Intentionality
See also:
- Meaning
- Representation
- Mind
- Knowledge
Human Existence Cluster
Personhood
See also:
- Self
- Identity
- Consciousness
- Rights
- Moral Agency
Freedom
See also:
- Agency
- Determinism
- Responsibility
- Existentialism
Mortality
See also:
- Death
- Meaning
- Human Existence
- Religion
Authenticity
See also:
- Existentialism
- Selfhood
- Freedom
- Human Condition
Knowledge and Reality Cluster
Knowledge
Bridge Node Between Ontology and Epistemology
See also:
- Truth
- Belief
- Justification
- Facts
- Information
Truth
See also:
- Reality
- Facts
- Knowledge
- Correspondence
- Realism
Facts
See also:
- Truthmakers
- Reality
- Knowledge
- States of Affairs
Information
See also:
- Knowledge
- Data
- Computation
- Information Ontology
Mathematics and Abstract Reality Cluster
Mathematical Objects
See also:
- Numbers
- Sets
- Infinity
- Structures
- Abstract Objects
Infinity
See also:
- Mathematics
- Cosmology
- Possibility
- Abstract Reality
Structuralism
See also:
- Mathematical Structures
- Information Ontology
- Ontic Structural Realism
Society and Culture Cluster
Social Reality
See also:
- Institutions
- Collective Intentionality
- Social Kinds
- Political Ontology
Institution
See also:
- Law
- Government
- Property
- Organizations
Culture
See also:
- Myth
- Ritual
- Tradition
- Symbols
- Collective Memory
Civilization
See also:
- Culture
- Religion
- Knowledge Systems
- Historical Ontologies
Religion and Sacred Reality Cluster
Divine Being
See also:
- God
- Sacred Reality
- Theology
- Religious Ontology
Soul
See also:
- Mind
- Personhood
- Afterlife
- Consciousness
Sacred Reality
See also:
- Myth
- Ritual
- Divine Being
- Religious Experience
Comparative Religious Ontologies
See also:
- Hindu Ontology
- Buddhist Ontology
- Christian Ontology
- Islamic Ontology
- Indigenous Ontologies
Nature and Life Cluster
Life
See also:
- Organism
- Evolution
- Biological Ontology
- Emergence
Organism
See also:
- Species
- Ecology
- Biological Individuality
Ecology
See also:
- Environment
- Systems Theory
- Process Ontology
- Planetary Ontology
Evolution
See also:
- Change
- Emergence
- Life
- Biological Ontology
Information and Digital Reality Cluster
Information Ontology
See also:
- Data
- Knowledge
- Computation
- Digital Reality
Computation
See also:
- Algorithms
- Artificial Intelligence
- Information Processing
Digital Reality
See also:
- Virtual Reality
- Metaverse
- Digital Objects
- Simulated Worlds
Virtual Reality
See also:
- Digital Reality
- Simulation
- Artificial Environments
Artificial Intelligence Cluster
Artificial Intelligence
Master Future-Oriented Hub
See also:
- Machine Ontology
- Artificial Agents
- Knowledge Representation
- Human-AI Relations
Artificial Agents
See also:
- Agency
- Autonomous Systems
- Machine Learning
Synthetic Persons
See also:
- Personhood
- Consciousness
- Artificial Intelligence
- Posthuman Ontology
Knowledge Representation
See also:
- Logic
- Information
- Semantic Systems
- Epistemology
Comparative Ontologies Cluster
Indian Ontologies
See also:
- Brahman
- ฤtman
- Dharma
- Karma
- Nyฤya
- Vedฤnta
Buddhist Ontologies
See also:
- Emptiness
- Impermanence
- Dependent Origination
- Process Ontology
Chinese Ontologies
See also:
- Dao
- Qi
- Yin-Yang
- Confucian Reality
African Ontologies
See also:
- Vital Force
- Communal Being
- Ancestors
- Relational Reality
Indigenous Ontologies
See also:
- Animism
- Land-Based Knowledge
- Ecological Reality
- Sacred Geography
Future and Speculative Ontology Cluster
Posthuman Ontology
See also:
- Human Enhancement
- Cyborgs
- Synthetic Persons
- Digital Minds
Space Ontology
See also:
- Extraterrestrial Life
- Planetary Ontology
- Cosmology
- Future Civilizations
Simulated Reality
See also:
- Virtual Reality
- Information Ontology
- Artificial Worlds
Future Ontologies
See also:
- Posthumanity
- Artificial Intelligence
- Planetary Futures
- Unknown Forms of Being
Ultimate Sarvarthapedia Reality Web
First-Order Nodes
- Being
- Existence
- Reality
- Knowledge
Second-Order Nodes
- Substance
- Object
- Property
- Relation
- Process
- Event
Third-Order Nodes
- Mind
- Life
- Society
- Culture
- Mathematics
- Religion
- Information
Fourth-Order Nodes
- Artificial Intelligence
- Digital Reality
- Virtual Worlds
- Posthumanity
- Planetary Existence
Integrative Principle
Being โ Existence โ Reality
Reality โ Knowledge โ Truth
Objects โ Relations โ Systems
Life โ Mind โ Society โ Culture
Information โ Computation โ Artificial Intelligence
Humanity โ Technology โ Future Forms of Being
This network allows every Sarvarthapedia article on metaphysics, ontology, and epistemology to connect horizontally across disciplines and vertically from foundational concepts of being to the most advanced questions concerning digital, artificial, and future realities.
