Book excerpt: Although the first analytic philosophers were primarily focused on the logical analysis of language, some of their initial works also contained ontological discussions. One of the most distinct ontological positions of the twentieth century was defended by Arthur Norman Prior. The unusual nature of the position could be demonstrated by the fact that he was ascribed to such divergent positions as nominalism and platonism. This might have been caused by his atypical combination of ontological views. He was, on the one hand, a nominalist in his mature works. On the other hand, he advocated intensional logic and presentism. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the ideas which influenced him as he formulated his ontological positions. Not only are Prior’s ideas introduced, but also the ideas of his precursors and contemporaries who influenced him. In contrast, the ideas of logicians and philosophers who Prior opposed are also presented. The dissertation consists of four parts which deal with Prior’s concepts of possible worlds, theories of quantifications, propositions and individuals. It is a historical study and therefore the polemics which arose after Prior’s death are not discussed.