Philosophical ontology is a branch of philosophy that studies the nature of being, existence, and reality. It seeks to understand what entities exist and how they can be categorized. Ontologists explore questions about the nature of objects, properties, and the relationships between them, often distinguishing between different kinds of existence, such as physical and abstract entities. This field also examines concepts like universals and particulars, addressing whether properties exist independently of the objects they characterize. Philosophical ontology is foundational for other areas of philosophy, including metaphysics and epistemology, as it influences how we understand knowledge and the nature of reality itself.