Felix Adler believed that philosophy should speak to everyone, not only scholars. At its heart, ontology—the study of being—is about exploring what it means to exist and how we find our place in the world. For Adler, this exploration was the foundation of ethical Humanism, a philosophy grounded in naturalism, reason, and empathy. These values help us understand reality and navigate moral choices with compassion and thoughtfulness, essential tools for facing the Anthropocene.