Ontology and me

Ontology. Is that a word we've heard an awful lot about of late? It is one of those words that has seeped into every discipline precisely because it is one of the most general words out there. If one wants to present something in a logical way and give it gravitas, well, it is the word for you. Hook it onto most anything and you've got a thesis.

"The Ontology of the Financial Services Industry"

"Ontological Modeling of Semantic Pre-Dispositions"

"Ontology and Nothingness in Modern Economic Theory"

"The Ontology of post-Lehman accounting rules changes"

Ontology and me. A dandy children's book. After all, children are very Wittgensteinian by nature. Their usage of a word determines its meaning. Some ontologies that purportedly investigate meaning are based around such a perspective. It comes natural to children.

What on earth have I had for lunch? Well. It is earnings week and the debates over whether things are bad or good requires careful report reading to incorporate cost cuts, accounting changes and other things that have helped merrily chug us along. That is, if one is inclined to look at these things as a kind of oracle as to where things might be going. It is most helpful these days to have two heads. One with its own opinion, and, one that understands the ontology of it all.

I need a cigarette.