What is Existence?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25247/P1982-999X.2025.v25n2.p122-144Keywords:
Existence, Logic, PhilosophyAbstract
In this seminal essay, Nathan Salmon challenges the Kantian maxim that existence is not a real predicate, arguing that “to exist” is a first-order monadic property attributable to individuals. Opposing Kant, Frege and Russell, Salmon argues that existence should be treated semantically as an ordinary property, and not as a logical quantifier. He examines cases of empty reference, such as fictional characters, and proposes that existential sentences with non-designative terms are not false, but lack truth value. The analysis articulates logic, metaphysics and philosophy of language, offering a robust critique of traditional approaches and proposing a theory of existence as a predicate.
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References
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