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Single Idea 12323

[filed under theme 7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / b. Being and existence ]

Full Idea

Existence is precisely Being itself in as much as thought decides it. And that decision orients thought essentially. ...It is when you decide upon what exists that you bind your thought to Being.

Gist of Idea

Existence is Being itself, but only as our thought decides it

Source

Alain Badiou (Briefings on Existence [1998], 2)

Book Ref

Badiou,Alain: 'Briefings on Existence', ed/tr. Madarsz,Norman [SUNY 2006], p.55


A Reaction

[2nd half p.57] Helpful for us non-Heideggerians to see what is going on. Does this mean that Being is Kant's noumenon?


The 4 ideas with the same theme [contrast between being and actual existence]:

Many things have being (as topics of propositions), but may not have actual existence [Russell]
Philosophers tend to distinguish broad 'being' from narrower 'existence' - but I reject that [Quine]
Existence is Being itself, but only as our thought decides it [Badiou]
An object's 'being' isn't existence; there's more to an object than existence, and its nature doesn't include existence [Fine,K]