Advanced Ontology
A.Y. 2025/2026
Learning objectives
The course Advanced Ontology is designed to provide students with a systematic examination of the structures, methods, and theoretical frameworks that define contemporary ontological inquiry. By the end of the course, students will gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in ontology.
While maintaining a strong connection to classical metaphysical questions, the course will focus on current debates and developments within analytic ontology, including formal ontology, category theory, and domain-specific ontologies.
Students will be introduced to advanced terminology, distinctions, foundational categories of contemporary ontology and to the main strategies for constructing, analyzing, and comparing ontological frameworks. A special emphasis will be placed on the interdisciplinary role of ontology in relation to logic, epistemology, and applied contexts. Particular attention will be devoted to the ontology of medicine as a paradigmatic case of how philosophical categories and distinctions can be operationalized within scientific and biomedical domains.
While maintaining a strong connection to classical metaphysical questions, the course will focus on current debates and developments within analytic ontology, including formal ontology, category theory, and domain-specific ontologies.
Students will be introduced to advanced terminology, distinctions, foundational categories of contemporary ontology and to the main strategies for constructing, analyzing, and comparing ontological frameworks. A special emphasis will be placed on the interdisciplinary role of ontology in relation to logic, epistemology, and applied contexts. Particular attention will be devoted to the ontology of medicine as a paradigmatic case of how philosophical categories and distinctions can be operationalized within scientific and biomedical domains.
Expected learning outcomes
Students will acquire the ability to:
- critically analyze arguments within the discipline;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in ontology;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical arguments, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses;
- take a position in the debates in ontology and propose arguments in support of it;
- communicate the results of their research effectively, also using multimedia techniques to represent information with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative and organizational skills also in highly complex contexts and in the management of group work;
- transmit the skills obtained also in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own skills and evaluations;
- autonomously research the philosophical sources of a debate or a school of thought;
- independently investigate a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
- critically analyze arguments within the discipline;
- discuss and compare different philosophical positions in ontology;
- reflect on complex and articulated philosophical arguments, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses;
- take a position in the debates in ontology and propose arguments in support of it;
- communicate the results of their research effectively, also using multimedia techniques to represent information with possible applications in teaching;
- use relational, communicative and organizational skills also in highly complex contexts and in the management of group work;
- transmit the skills obtained also in non-specialist contexts;
- reflect on their own skills and evaluations;
- autonomously research the philosophical sources of a debate or a school of thought;
- independently investigate a philosophical position or theoretical thesis.
Lesson period: First semester
Assessment methods: Esame
Assessment result: voto verbalizzato in trentesimi
Single course
This course can be attended as a single course.
Course syllabus and organization
Single session
Responsible
Lesson period
First semester
Course syllabus
This course offers an advanced introduction to key debates in contemporary ontology and metaontology. After a systematic presentation of foundational concepts, such as ontological categories, existence, and commitment, the core of the course will be devoted to major positions in metaontological discourse. Quine's classic essay "On What There Is" introduces the quantificational approach to ontology, which is then critically reassessed through works by Kit Fine and Jonathan Schaffer, focusing on the distinction between existence and grounding.
Alternative perspectives are explored in Huw Price's Carnapian critique of metaphysics, Eli Hirsch's theory of quantifier variance, and Amie Thomasson's deflationary "easy ontology." These texts offer contrasting views on the status, method, and significance of ontological inquiry.
Students will analyze and discuss these positions in class, evaluating their theoretical assumptions, argumentative structures, and philosophical implications. The aim is to develop both technical understanding and critical skills for navigating contemporary metaphysical debates.
Alternative perspectives are explored in Huw Price's Carnapian critique of metaphysics, Eli Hirsch's theory of quantifier variance, and Amie Thomasson's deflationary "easy ontology." These texts offer contrasting views on the status, method, and significance of ontological inquiry.
Students will analyze and discuss these positions in class, evaluating their theoretical assumptions, argumentative structures, and philosophical implications. The aim is to develop both technical understanding and critical skills for navigating contemporary metaphysical debates.
Prerequisites for admission
Students are expected to have prior familiarity with fundamental philosophical terminology and methods—particularly argumentation theory and elementary formal logic—as well as a basic knowledge of major contemporary philosophical currents and figures, with an emphasis on neo-empiricism and analytic philosophy.
Teaching methods
The course will adopt a mixed instructional format combining traditional and interactive methods. Core content will be delivered through lectures by the professor, aimed at providing systematic exposition of key concepts, arguments, and theoretical frameworks in contemporary ontology.
In parallel, a substantial portion of the course will be dedicated to student-led presentations and discussions. Students will be assigned selected readings from the syllabus, which they will prepare and present in class using PowerPoint or equivalent visual aids. These presentations will be developed independently or in small groups, and will be expected to provide a clear reconstruction of the arguments under discussion, critical evaluation of the positions presented, and explicit identification of their theoretical implications.
Each presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and group discussion, in which students are expected to engage critically with the material and their peers, under the guidance of the professor. Particular emphasis will be placed on the comparative evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of competing ontological theories, as well as the development of argumentative precision and conceptual clarity.
This blended methodology is designed to foster not only the acquisition of content, but also the refinement of discursive and analytical skills necessary for advanced philosophical inquiry.
In parallel, a substantial portion of the course will be dedicated to student-led presentations and discussions. Students will be assigned selected readings from the syllabus, which they will prepare and present in class using PowerPoint or equivalent visual aids. These presentations will be developed independently or in small groups, and will be expected to provide a clear reconstruction of the arguments under discussion, critical evaluation of the positions presented, and explicit identification of their theoretical implications.
Each presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session and group discussion, in which students are expected to engage critically with the material and their peers, under the guidance of the professor. Particular emphasis will be placed on the comparative evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of competing ontological theories, as well as the development of argumentative precision and conceptual clarity.
This blended methodology is designed to foster not only the acquisition of content, but also the refinement of discursive and analytical skills necessary for advanced philosophical inquiry.
Teaching Resources
COMMON BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THE 6 AND 9 CFU EXAM:
1) Valore, Paolo. 2016. "The Task and Scope of Ontology" + "Ontological Categories" + "The Nature of Existence", in: "Fundamentals of Ontological Commitment". Berlin: De Gruyter (textbook)
2) Quine, W. V. O. 1948. "On What There Is." Review of Metaphysics, 2 (1): 21-38.
3) Fine, Kit. 2009. "The Question of Ontology." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", edited by David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan Wasserman, 157-77. Oxford: Oxford University.
4) Schaffer, Jonathan. 2009. "On What Grounds What." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 347-83.
5) Price, Huw. 2009. "Metaphysics after Carnap: The Ghost Who Walks?" In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 320-46.
ADDITIONAL READINGS FOR THE 9 CREDITS (CFU) EXAM:
6) Hirsch, Eli. 2009. "Ontology and Alternative Languages." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 231-58.
7) Thomasson, Amie L. 2021. "Easy Ontology." In The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics, edited by Ricki Bliss and J.T.M. Miller, 159-170. London: Routledge
1) Valore, Paolo. 2016. "The Task and Scope of Ontology" + "Ontological Categories" + "The Nature of Existence", in: "Fundamentals of Ontological Commitment". Berlin: De Gruyter (textbook)
2) Quine, W. V. O. 1948. "On What There Is." Review of Metaphysics, 2 (1): 21-38.
3) Fine, Kit. 2009. "The Question of Ontology." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", edited by David Chalmers, David Manley, and Ryan Wasserman, 157-77. Oxford: Oxford University.
4) Schaffer, Jonathan. 2009. "On What Grounds What." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 347-83.
5) Price, Huw. 2009. "Metaphysics after Carnap: The Ghost Who Walks?" In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 320-46.
ADDITIONAL READINGS FOR THE 9 CREDITS (CFU) EXAM:
6) Hirsch, Eli. 2009. "Ontology and Alternative Languages." In "Metametaphysics: New Essays on the Foundations of Ontology", 231-58.
7) Thomasson, Amie L. 2021. "Easy Ontology." In The Routledge Handbook of Metametaphysics, edited by Ricki Bliss and J.T.M. Miller, 159-170. London: Routledge
Assessment methods and Criteria
ATTENDING STUDENTS:
Students enrolled in the course who attend regularly will be required to actively engage with the readings listed in the syllabus through a combination of lectures, PowerPoint presentations, in-class discussions, and scheduled individual or group presentations. These student presentations constitute an integral part of the course and will be formally assessed. Participation and presentations will be evaluated on a scale of 30 points, with 18/30 as the minimum passing grade.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students will be assessed through an oral examination based on the entire course syllabus. During the exam, the candidate is expected to demonstrate not only a solid grasp of the content, but also, and more importantly, a mastery of the argumentative strategies characteristic of contemporary metaphysical discourse. Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to critically assess the costs and benefits of competing theoretical frameworks.
In all cases, evaluation will consider the student's capacity for coherent and structured exposition, the precision of their use of technical vocabulary, and the clarity and rigor of their argumentative reasoning. The final grade will be expressed on a 30-point scale.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International or Erasmus students are encouraged to contact the course instructor at the beginning of the term to make appropriate arrangements. Examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) must be agreed upon with the instructor in coordination with the appropriate university office.
Students enrolled in the course who attend regularly will be required to actively engage with the readings listed in the syllabus through a combination of lectures, PowerPoint presentations, in-class discussions, and scheduled individual or group presentations. These student presentations constitute an integral part of the course and will be formally assessed. Participation and presentations will be evaluated on a scale of 30 points, with 18/30 as the minimum passing grade.
NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
Non-attending students will be assessed through an oral examination based on the entire course syllabus. During the exam, the candidate is expected to demonstrate not only a solid grasp of the content, but also, and more importantly, a mastery of the argumentative strategies characteristic of contemporary metaphysical discourse. Particular attention will be paid to the student's ability to critically assess the costs and benefits of competing theoretical frameworks.
In all cases, evaluation will consider the student's capacity for coherent and structured exposition, the precision of their use of technical vocabulary, and the clarity and rigor of their argumentative reasoning. The final grade will be expressed on a 30-point scale.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
International or Erasmus students are encouraged to contact the course instructor at the beginning of the term to make appropriate arrangements. Examination procedures for students with disabilities and/or specific learning disorders (DSA) must be agreed upon with the instructor in coordination with the appropriate university office.
Modules or teaching units
Parte A e B
M-FIL/01 - THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 6
Lessons: 40 hours
Parte C
M-FIL/01 - THEORETICAL PHILOSOPHY - University credits: 3
Lessons: 20 hours
Professor(s)
Reception:
Wednesday from 5:00 PM
On line (Teams). Please send an email to book your appointment