more from Bertrand Russell

Single Idea 11010

[catalogued under 7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / a. Nature of Being]

Full Idea

Being is that which belongs to every conceivable, to every possible object of thought.

Gist of Idea

Being is what belongs to every possible object of thought

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903]), quoted by Stephen Read - Thinking About Logic Ch.5

Book Reference

Read,Stephen: 'Thinking About Logic' [OUP 1995], p.131


A Reaction

I take Russell's (or anyone's) attempt to distinguish two different senses of the word 'being' or 'exist' to be an umitigated metaphysical disaster.