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Full Idea
If 'existence' is understood so that it can be a substantive thesis that only some of the things there are exist, we will have none of it.
Gist of Idea
We can't accept a use of 'existence' that says only some of the things there are actually exist
Source
David Lewis (Noneism or Allism? [1990], p.163)
Book Ref
Lewis,David: 'Papers in Metaphysics and Epistemology' [CUP 1999], p.163
A Reaction
Lewis is a strong advocate, following Quine, of the univocal sense of the word 'exist', and I agree with them.
15532 | 'Allists' embrace the existence of all controversial entities; 'noneists' reject all but the obvious ones [Lewis] |
15533 | We can quantify over fictions by quantifying for real over their names [Lewis] |
15534 | We could quantify over impossible objects - as bundles of properties [Lewis] |
15535 | We can't accept a use of 'existence' that says only some of the things there are actually exist [Lewis] |