ontography

Ontography is a discipline that studies the relationship between being and existence. It is a field of inquiry that seeks to understand the nature of reality, particularly in relation to things that exist or are potential entities. Ontography is concerned with the essence and properties of beings, objects, and entities, examining their inherent characteristics and how they are interconnected.

The term "ontography" was coined by philosopher Martin Heidegger in the 1920s. Heidegger used the term to describe the investigation of being, particularly in relation to human existence and the natural world. In his work "Being and Time", Heidegger critiques traditional Western philosophy's approach to being, arguing that it has been heavily influenced by a "metaphysics of presence" that overlooks the concept of "being" itself.

Ontography is often contrasted with other disciplines such as metaphysics, which focuses on the nature of reality in a more abstract sense, and physical ontology, which concerns the physical properties and laws governing reality. Ontography seeks to bridge the gap between theoretical inquiry about the nature of existence and the practical understanding of concrete, everyday existence.

In recent years, ontography has been taken up by scholars in various fields, including philosophy, anthropology, and geography. It has been used to analyze the ways in which concepts such as identity, place, and environment are constructed and experienced in different cultures and contexts. Overall, ontography represents a critical inquiry into the fundamental nature of existence and being, focusing on the complexities and nuances of human experience and the world we inhabit.