Alex and William, I agree with Mario B. that a foundation for ontology based on systems is far and away superior to a foundation based on physical things -- primarily because systems presuppose non-physical mathematics and the supra-physical laws that govern the physical things/stuff. Without mathematics, science, engineering, finance, business, etc., are impossible. Without the laws of science, there can be no explanation for any regularities in the world -- not even systems. Without the habits of behavior of living things, there can be no regularities in life. That brings us to the supra-level for all acceptable ontologies: (1) Mathematics as the foundation for all logically possible patterns of anything that can exist in any possible world. (2) Actualities as the totality of everything that is observable in our universe by any method that is possible. (3) Necessities as the laws, habits, conventions, and agreements that govern all events and processes in actuality. And -- surprise, surprise -- that foundation happens to be the top level of C. S. Peirce's ontology -- or as he called it, the the three universes of discourse for any version of logic. As for reality, Peirce defined reality as whatever exists independently of anything we may think about it. That includes mathematics, physical stuff (matter/energy or whatever), and the behavior of all that stuff, including the habitual patterns of all living things, including other people. And by the way, this is the primary reason why I have a low opinion about BFO -- because it does not recognize the primacy of the three-way split. Mario B's adoption of systems as the basis for ontology is an important step beyond BFO because it implies Peirce's three-way split. John
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