On “Being”: A Linguistic Perspective

Abstract

This research paper is dedicated to discussing the relationships between linguistics and philosophy, particularly in Ontology. It compares the differences in copula structures, especially “to be” in different languages and provides connections with ontology in Western and Eastern Philosophy to reveal the ontological differences derived from them. It analyzes texts from famous works of Aristotle, Descartes, and Lao-tzu to reveal the ontological similarities despite the differences in their languages' copulative structures. It concludes that linguistics largely shapes the way of different philosophies’ ontological basis, but linguistics and philosophy are like the integration of two parts that each has its emphasis.