What does it mean to say something exists?

Question

This strikes me as quite a key thing, seeing as a lot questions such as "does God exist?" rely on what the word actually means.
for exampe the following argument
"unicorns exist in our minds therefore they exist"

The definiton I have been using is that to say something exists is to say "there is one or more of x" so if you take the above example I would say "unicorns don't exist but the idea of unicorns does" have any criticisms of that I would also like to hear them.

sorry about any misspellings.

Answer 1

Something exists if it is able to influence the phyical world in any way. Therefore, my computer right now exists. Common sense exists in that it influences people's thoughts, actions and behvior. God exists because he created Adam and Eve, without whom the world would be certainly affected today. I'm not going to continue but you get the idea.

Answer 2

Actually, the example you cite is central to understanding some early philosophers, especially Descartes' attempt to prove the existence of God by reason alone (since his fundamental rule was anything which can be doubted we must assume to be false, in order to ascertain those things of which we are absolutely certain)

The argument hinges on the premise that if we can imagine God possessing some quality or property which makes him more perfect than if he didn't possess it, then God NECESSARILY has that quality, by definition of the word. Since an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving entity which actually exists is more perfect than such an entity which is merely a notion of human imagination, God *must* exist. Obviously the argument isn't valid, but makes for fun reading. It's a slightly different aspect of language than the point you make, but definitely a related issue.

Here's a pretty good paper on that very topic:

Answer 3

Yes, the whole edifice of objectivism, is therefore built on the axiom, existence exists..... The obvious end of is the ultimate that can be perceived with just the sense organs as sharp as possible, a sharp analytical mind, empowered with good memory, etc...
Beyond this, something else can happen only if a person looks with an open mind at the possibility of perception beyond sense organs ! Start with self-awareness, and make a journey inwards, on the pathless path !

Answer 4

I don't know anything, but some of the Eastern Philosophy books say things like the universe only exists because we experience it. It's like the tree falling in the woods, if no one were around to hear it, would it make a sound?

Answer 5

Well, we think good and evil exist. This following message was forwarded to me. I'm not sure if it provides an answer to the topic but it is interesting::::

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Who Created Evil?

As you read this, I challenge you to really let it’s meaning sink in. This eloquently answers one of the profound questions of life.

Did God Create Evil?

The university professor challenged his students with this question:

"Did God create everything that exists?"

A student bravely replied "Yes, he did!"

"God created everything?" the professor asked.

"Yes sir," the student replied.

The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?"

"Of course," replied the professor.

The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?"

The professor replied "Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?"

The students snickered at the young man's question.

The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat.

Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body, or matter, have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.”

The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?"

The professor responded, "Of course it does."

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir. Darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light, we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton 's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"

Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God.

God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

The young man's name? Albert Einstein.

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So, the story kind of tells us that evil doesn't exist. And that cold doesn't exist. But we think they do. And if they exist in our minds, then they exist for us. So the question remains unanswered. Because it depends on each person perception of existence. As human beings, we believe we exist. But what if we really don't? What if everything that happens in our lives is just a big lie created by our minds? We can't rule that out, even if it does sound a little insane... If that is true, then our existence is also based off of our minds and beliefs. So, again, existence is just a matter of what your mind thinks. Do you believe we exist? And if you do, and it really is just a question of what we think, why should everything else not exist? If you are Christian, you believe a God exists even though you've never seen Him. We then believe that a God created us. But if a God created us, then a God must exist. But we've never seen Him. We feel the cold. But that student proved cold did not exist. We see the rainbow. But we can't touch it (No, Skittles don't count, and neither does blech--vomit...) We can't base ourselves off on what we see or feel. Or what we believe. Nothing in life is really certain. We believe we're right side up, but unless you live at the North or South poles, you're actually walking sideways. So again, existence is just what the Self believes it to be. I think that my answer went completely off topic and didn't answer you, so I apologize for that. I hope it provided some insight though.

Answer 6

I like the law of non- contradiction that states:
"one cannot say of something that it is and that it is not in the same respect and at the same time"
That is supported on the law of identity that states: A=A

Answer 7

something exists if you truly believe it does, like with Santa Claus and children. Children truly believe in him, even though adults know the truth, if you truly believe, its in your heart, so it does exist.

Answer 8

somethings exist when we experience it..

Answer 9

it is.