Ontological Matrices

The matrices below help me visualize categories, or relations between key concepts, as I use them in my writing.

Relations are both within and between matrices. For example, here’s a relation within a matrix: individuals are to communities as anatomies are to environments. And here’s an example of a relation between matrices: truth is to communities as knowledge is to individuals.

Relations between concepts within and between matrices also hold for their negations. For example, the negation of knowledge (ignorance) is to the negation of truth (falsehood) as knowledge is to truth. I haven’t made that explicit in the ontics and epistemics matrices. But I make that explicit in the ethics matrices.

Combinations of concepts within a matrix don’t mean that one is always the other. For example, pain isn’t always evil. But pain always relates to evil as pleasure relates to good. As there are exceptions to evil pain, there are exceptions to good pleasure.

Ontics

This matrix is about ontics and related concepts. Ontics is the structure and conditions of being. You might think of ontics as asking what’s real and how things really are.

Epistemics

This matrix is about epistemics and related concepts. Epistemics is the structure and conditions of knowing. You might think of epistemics as asking how we can know what’s true.

Ethics

The next three matrices are about ethics and related concepts. Ethics is the structure and conditions of valuing. You might think of ethics as asking how we should treat others and what we should do.