Rlty s cncpt tht vrs wth cntxt nd cltr. Rlty my b vwd s th sm r ggrgt f ll bjcts n xstnc wthn th nvrs, s ppsd t tht whch s nly mgnry, nnxstnt r nnctl. Th trm s ls sd t rfr t th ntlgcl stts f thngs, ndctng thr xstnc. n physcl trms, rlty s th ttlty f systm, knwn nd nknwn.
Phlsphcl qstns bt th ntr f rlty r xstnc r bng r cnsdrd ndr th rbrc f ntlgy, whch s mjr brnch f mtphyscs n th Wstrn phlsphcl trdtn. ntlgcl qstns ls ftr n dvrs brnchs f phlsphy, ncldng th phlsphy f scnc, f rlgn, f mthmtcs, nd phlsphcl lgc. Ths ncld qstns bt whthr nly physcl bjcts r rl (.., physclsm), whthr rlty s fndmntlly mmtrl (.g. dlsm), whthr hypthtcl nbsrvbl ntts pstd by scntfc thrs xst, whthr gd r gds xst, whthr nmbrs nd thr bstrct bjcts xst, nd whthr pssbl wrlds xst. pstmlgy s cncrnd wth wht cn b knwn r nfrrd s lkly nd hw, whrby n th mdrn wrld mphss s pt n rsn, mprcl vdnc nd scnc s srcs nd mthds t dtrmn r nvstgt rlty.