Ontology I

Code:

FILO030

Acronym:

ONT1

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Philosophy

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
E-learning page:	https://moodle.up.pt/
Responsible unit:	Department of Philosophy
Course/CS Responsible:	Bachelor in Philosophy

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
FILO	0	FILO - Study Plan	3	-	6	41	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

1. To identify the main subjects studied in ontology.
2. To understand the relevance of the major moments of the historical debate about the possibility of metaphysics as a science.
3. To grasp the main concepts of ontology and to understand the way they are used by the different philosophers studied.
4. To develop skills both of text analysis and of criticism concerning the texts analysed.

Learning outcomes and competences

1. To understand the main philosophical issues discussed in the field of ontology.
2. To understand  the main philosophical arguments on the problem of being of the studied texts.
3. To understand the main concepts of Aristotle's ontology.
4. To understand the concept of existence in Avicenna, Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus.
5. To distinguish the two ontological paradigms studied.
6. To understand the main philosophical issues that are at stake in the historical-philosophical debate about the possibility of metaphysics as a science.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Not applicable.

Program

Introduction
What is «ontology»?

I. Aristotle’s First Philosophy
1. The search for a new science without a name
2. Philosophy as ontology: the science of being as being
2.1. Excursus: Ontology versus dialectic. Philosophy as dialectic according to Plato. Being as the supreme gender and the nature of non-being
3. Back to Aristotle: the primacy of substance
3.1. What is substance? Analysis of the hypotheses substrate, essence and hilemorphic compound
3.2. The onto-theological tension of first philosophy
4. The modes of being and the categories

II. From ontology as a theory of substance to metaphysics as the science of transcendentals
1. The object of metaphysics according to Avicenna: the concept of existence.
2. Two divergent positions: Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus.
2.1. Analogy and univocity
2.2. Universals, common natures and principle of individuation

Conclusion
Ontology and metaphysics at the beginning of modernity: from Suárez to Lorhard

Mandatory literature

Parménides - José Trindade Santos; Da natureza, Alda Editores, 1997. ISBN: 972-97431-0-X
Platão; Sofista, F.C.G., 2011
Aristóteles; Metafísica. ISBN: 85-15-02361-X v. 1
Aristóteles; Metafísica. ISBN: 978-972-44-2351-7
Avicena (ed. Marmura); The Metaphysics of the Healing, Brighma Yung Univ. Press, 2005
Tomás de Aquino; O ente e a essência., Afrontamento, 2013
Tomás de Aquino; Proémio do Comentário à Metafísica de Aristóteles, Afrontamento
Duns Scotus (Allan Wolter ed.); Duns Scotus Philosophical Writings. , Hackett Publishing Company, 1987
Paula Oliveira e Silva; A^ciência metafísica. ISBN: 978-972-36-1843-3

Complementary Bibliography

E. J Lõwe; A^survey of metaphysics. ISBN: 0-19-875253-9
Robin Le Poidevin; The^Routledge companion to metaphysics. ISBN: 978-0-415-39631-8

Comments from the literature

The specific parts of the works here pointed out as of compulsory reading will be indicated on Moodle. 

Complementary bibliography will be introduced during the semester and will by available in Moddle.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretical-practical lessons: lectures, reading and commentary of texts, critical discussion of the arguments.
All materials are available on the UC’s moodle page, which also serves as a vehicle of permanent communication with the students, updating materials and implementing the teaching-learning process.

keywords

Humanities

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	10,00
Teste	90,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	121,00
Frequência das aulas	41,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

75% over the total classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Two written tests (in the middle and at the end of the semester) and oral participation. Each test 50% (being there included the 10% concerning the active participation in classes).

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Accordingly to FLUP's Regulation.

Classification improvement

Students wishing to improve their marks should perform the rescue season exam (weighting 100%).

Observations

Not applicable.