In the philosophical area of metaphysics there is a subfield called ontology, which focuses on figuring out how to define & distinguish between kinds of being. According to reading 8 ( introduction to metaphysics) , there is a major division between material & immaterial things . Give an easy/obvious example for both categories. Now , find something hard to categorize & explain why you think it’s difficult.

Question

Now, recall that some theories of reality consider certain kinds of beings more fundamentally real than other kinds of beings. Looking at three examples you just gave; which being would Epicurus consider more real than the others & why ?

Answer 1

An easy example of a material thing is a rock, while an immaterial thing would be a thought or emotion.

One thing that is hard to categorize is time. While it is often considered immaterial, as it cannot be physically touched or seen, it is also intertwined with material things such as the movement of celestial bodies and the aging of living organisms.

Epicurus would consider material beings as more fundamentally real than immaterial beings because he believed that everything is made up of atoms and void, and that everything we perceive as immaterial is actually just the movement of atoms. Therefore, thoughts and emotions would be seen as just the movement of atoms in the brain, making them less real than physical objects.