more from Willard Quine

Single Idea 16966

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

Full Idea

It has been fairly common in philosophy early and late to distinguish between being, as the broadest concept, and existence, as narrower. This is no distinction of mine; I mean 'exist' to cover all there is.

Gist of Idea

Philosophers tend to distinguish broad 'being' from narrower 'existence' - but I reject that

Source

Willard Quine (Existence and Quantification [1966], p.100)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ontological Relativity and Other Essays' [Columbia 1969], p.100


A Reaction

I sort of agree with Quine, but 'being' has a role in philosophy that is not required in science and daily life, as the name of the central problem of ontology, which probably has to be broken down before any progress can happen.