14161
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Many things have being (as topics of propositions), but may not have actual existence [Russell]
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Full Idea:
Numbers, the Homeric gods, relations, chimeras and four-dimensional space all have being, for if they were not entities of a kind, we could not make propositions about them. Existence, on the contrary, is the prerogative of some only amongst the beings.
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From:
Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903], §427)
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A reaction:
This is the analytic philosophy account of being (a long way from Heidegger). Contemporary philosophy seems to be full of confusions on this, with many writers claiming existence for things which should only be awarded 'being' status.
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5112
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Empedocles says things are at rest, unless love unites them, or hatred splits them [Empedocles, by Aristotle]
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Full Idea:
Empedocles claims that things are alternately changing and at rest - that they are changing whenever love is creating a unity out of plurality, or hatred is creating plurality out of unity, and they are at rest in the times in between.
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From:
report of Empedocles (fragments/reports [c.453 BCE]) by Aristotle - Physics 250b26
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A reaction:
I suppose one must say that this an example of Ruskin's 'pathetic fallacy' - reading human emotions into the cosmos. Being constructive little creatures, we think goodness leads to construction. I'm afraid Empedocles is just wrong.
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14163
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Four classes of terms: instants, points, terms at instants only, and terms at instants and points [Russell]
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Full Idea:
Among terms which appear to exist, there are, we may say, four great classes: 1) instants, 2) points, 3) terms which occupy instants but not points, 4) terms which occupy both points and instants. Analysis cannot explain 'occupy'.
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From:
Bertrand Russell (The Principles of Mathematics [1903], §437)
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A reaction:
This is a massively reductive scientific approach to categorising existence. Note that it homes in on 'terms', which seems a rather linguistic approach, although Russell is cautious about such things.
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