Since Aristotle, this task has become divided among the various discrete sciences. Most scientists don t think of what they do as ontology, but in many ways, it is exactly what Aristotle began over two thousand years ago. It is also something each of us does, every day. When we make a list of things to do, or of records and books we most want to buy, or videos we intend to rent, we are categorizing we are engaging in rudimentary ontology. By prioritizing items in a list, we are assigning relationships among various things.
Ontology can be relatively simple, or it can be quite complex.
Ontology becomes more complex, and even daunting, when we begin to grapple with large domains of objects with complex relationships among them. For instance, anyone who has attempted to outline the processes and components of even a relatively small enterprise, has experienced the brain-cramps that can come with complex ontology. Nonetheless, enterprise modeling has been a valuable tool in the realm of Business Process Reengineering. It can be done. Snapshots of an entire enterprise can be made at a point in time.