Ontology and Existence - Vsauce Michael

Introduction to Ontological Questions

• Questions regarding existence: What exactly exists?
• Examples given: Waves vs. wavy things, food becoming part of us.
• Ontology: Philosophy of existence, focusing on ordinary objects (e.g., chairs, spoons).

Skepticism and Deeper Ontological Questions

• Reality could be a dream or simulation.
• Main question: Is it possible for something to be truly made of parts?
  • Constitution: Paper constitutes an origami crane.
  • Composition: Paper made of subatomic particles.

Philosophical Concepts

• Constitution vs. Composition
  • Constitution: One-to-one relationship (e.g., paper and crane).
  • Composition: Many-to-one relationship (subatomic particles to paper).
• Simples and Gunky Universe
  • Simples: Indivisible entities.
  • Gunky universe: Never-ending smaller structures.
• Ontological Reductionism
  • Belief that objects are only their parts.

Existence and Language

• Defining existence: More than zero of something.
• Example of in-cars and islands, questioning what really exists.
• Ontological Realism vs. Anti-realism
  • Realists: Universe has objective structure.
  • Anti-realists: Our perception is one way to view reality.

Special Composition Question

• When do things compose something else?
• Myriology: Philosophy of parts and wholes.
• Myriological Universalism: Belief all assortments form a thing.
• Eliminativism vs. Organicism
  • Eliminativism: Rejects ordinary objects.
  • Organicism: Accepts living beings exist.
• Myriological Nihilism: Denies any composition.

Conceptual Challenges

• Over-determination: Objects don't explain anything beyond their parts.
• Sorites Sequence: Series of small changes shouldn't change an object but eventually do.
• Ship of Theseus Paradox: Identity through change of parts.

Deflationism

• Belief that debates are meaningless because all positions agree on Simples.

Over-counting and Paradox

• Over-counting: Counting parts and wholes separately.
• Over-determination and Sorites issues.

Ontological Paradox and Proposed Solutions

• Amy Thomason's Neutral vs. Sortal Uses
  • Neutral use: All entities possible.
  • Sortal use: Specific conditions for existence.
• Concept of vagueness in language vs. objective reality.

Conclusions on Existence

• Chairs and objects as phenomena, not physical entities.
• Ontological innocence: Conceptual understanding without material basis.
• Paradoxes and beliefs in ordinary objects as useful but not truly reflective of reality.

Final Thoughts

• Reality is stipulated, not simulated.
• We apply labels and concepts to understand the universe.
• Encouragement to embrace the pragmatic use of terms while understanding their limitations.
• Final note on the usefulness of Vsauce's explorations and call to action for curiosity.