EXISTENCE

Logic and Grammar (from Brian Garrett)

Existence and Life: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az26jj4eBBo

EXISTENCE
Logic and Grammar (from Brian Garrett)

Existential Claims

Existential Claims

Positive existential claims

Ex.

Angel Locsin exists

Negative existential claims

Ex.

Darna does not exist

Existential Claims

Existential Claim

Singular Predications
Ex.

John Lyod exists

Plural Predications
Ex.

Men exist

VS

Different Views on Existence

The Property View

exists

refers to a property of existence

The Quantifier View

exists

is a existential quantifier

Deciding between the property and quantifier views

Historically both views have had their defenders Property View Meinong : some objects possess the property of existence, while other objects lack the property of existence. Quantity View Hume: the idea of existence is nothing different from the idea of any object.
Kant:

By whatever and however many predicates we may think of a thing even if we completely determine it we do not make the least addition to the thing when we further declare that this thing is.

The problem of true negative existential

The rule of Existential Generalization [a/Ex(x)] Ex(x is handsome): logically valid Ex(x does not exist): contains a contradiction

The response of the quantifier view

-Ex(x = Santa Claus), where the negation appears at the front. But this is no solution. By (EG), from -Ex(x = Santa Claus)

we can infer the contradiction Ey-Ex(x = y). The best move for a defender of the quantifier view may be to eliminate names altogether

The response of the property view

By (EG) from ~(Ea) we may infer x~(Ex), and from (~E)a we may infer x(~Ex). Both conclusions are contradictions they assert that there exists something which does not exist.

Non-existent objects

To exist is to have a property that only some of the things we refer to have those that exist as opposed to those that are merely fictional. A non-existent objects lack the property of existence and, on views that embrace negative properties, possess the property of nonexistence.

Four reasons to believe in nonexistent objects

Definite descriptions are meaningful then they must denote objects. If grammatical subjects are featured in true sentences then there is such a subject If objects referred to do not exist but are successfully referred to then there is such an object There are times when we regard fictional objects to hold some truth. Their truth can only be made