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Full Idea
It does not follow that what we can't imagine does not exist.
Gist of Idea
What we cannot imagine may still exist
Source
Gottfried Leibniz (Letters to Johann Bernoulli [1699], 1698.11.18)
Book Ref
Leibniz,Gottfried: 'Philosophical Essays', ed/tr. Arlew,R /Garber,D [Hackett 1989], p.168
A Reaction
This just establishes the common sense end of the debate - that you cannot just use your imagination as the final authority on what exists, or what is possible.
14039 | Above and below us will never appear to be the same, because it is inconceivable [Epicurus] |
13172 | What we cannot imagine may still exist [Leibniz] |
3802 | Why pronounce impossible what you cannot imagine? [Dennett] |
3903 | The conceivable can't be a test of the possible, if there are things which are possible but inconceivable [Scruton] |
17958 | The apparently metaphysically possible may only be epistemically possible [Vetter] |
19268 | Inconceivability (implying impossibility) may be failure to conceive, or incoherence [Vaidya] |