02 / 10
Being & existence
What is there?
The philosopher W.V.O. Quine said the central question of ontology can be asked in three words: “What is there?” And answered in one: “Everything.” The hard part is deciding what goes on the list.
Tables and trees seem easy. But what about the number 7? You cannot touch it, yet “7 is prime” seems true. Is something making it true? And what about Sherlock Holmes? We say true things about him (he lives on Baker Street), but surely he does not exist.
Try it · Choose an ontology. Things that it says exist stay solid. Things it rejects fade out. Click any object to see what it is.
Loading…
Different philosophers draw the line in different places. A physicalist says only physical, spatial things exist. A Platonist adds abstract objects like numbers. Alexius Meinong went further and said even fictional and impossible objects have some kind of being, even if they do not exist.
The picture you choose is called your ontology. Every other topic on this site depends on it.
Key ideas
Words worth remembering
- Physicalism
- Only physical things (matter, energy, spacetime) exist.
- Platonism
- Abstract objects, like numbers and shapes, exist too, outside space and time.
- Meinongianism
- Even non-existent things (unicorns, Holmes) are real objects of thought with some kind of being.
Think about it
When you say “there is a prime number between 5 and 11”, are you committing yourself to the existence of a number?