Ontological for Dummies

Hey there! Let me explain to you the meaning of the word "ontological". It's totally normal if you find it a bit confusing at first, but I'm here to help you understand it in the simplest way possible.

Ontological refers to something related to the branch of philosophy called "ontology". Now, philosophy is like a big treasure chest full of questions about the world, the nature of reality, and how things exist. One of the questions philosophers ask is: "What is real?" That's where ontology comes in, trying to understand the nature of being or existence.

You can think of it as if you're trying to figure out what things are and how they fit into the bigger picture. When we talk about "ontological", it means we're discussing the fundamental nature of something, a deeper understanding of its existence, and how it relates to other things around it.

Let me give you an example to make it clearer. Imagine you have a pet cat named Whiskers. You can talk about Whisker's ontological nature by considering what it means for him to be a cat. You might think about what characteristics define a cat, how those characteristics relate to Whiskers, and how he fits into the broader category of feline creatures. So, ontological questions help us explore the essence and identity of things.

Another way to think about it is through a metaphor. Imagine you have a puzzle with many pieces, and each piece represents different aspects of the puzzle. Ontology helps us put those puzzle pieces together to create a bigger picture, giving us a better understanding of the world around us.

So, to sum it up, when we say "ontological", we are talking about a deeper exploration of how things exist in the world, what defines their nature, and how they fit into the larger scheme of things. It's all about understanding the fundamental aspects of something and how it connects with everything else. I hope that makes it clearer for you! Any more questions?