Anything we can conceive is real.
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Problem of Universals
- Thread starter Rival
- Start date
vulcanlogician
Well-Known Member
Something is real if it's a genuine feature of existence. For example, unicorns aren't real. The pythagorean theorem is. I must have missed the question. I didn't deliberately ignore it.
I don't care about labels either. But if we actually agree (which I think we do) then we ought not debate one another. To my understanding, I am a realist. And, so far as I can tell, according to the definition I use to identify myself as a realist, so are you. A realist can make a distinction between a physical object and a mathematical theorem. Just because you distinguish the two, doesn't make you a nominalist. I distinguish the two. And so did Plato.
Heyo
Veteran Member
What about laws, countries or sociology?
Heyo
Veteran Member
Yep. And now we really disagree and I think this time @vulcanlogician will be on my side. Those things are not "genuine feature of existence" or as I would put it, objectively existing. We did invent those and they will go away and not return when nobody believes in them. They exist only because of our agreement.They're real.
I live in a weird world
What about Dumbledore? He exists in the Harry Potter universe but is he real? Are vampires, werewolves and unicorns real?
Yes, Harry Potter etc. is real as far as it exists as a concept.
Don't get the modern liberal hatred of nation-states when humans group ourselves together as tribes naturally.... think it's something to do with an idealistic worldview that thinks everyone can get along. Bizarre.
Koldo
Outstanding Member
But then what word do you use to describe that which exists regardless of conception?
Real.
We conceive of the sun. i.e., we can think about it.
Our minds can both create and acknowledge, both come under 'conceive'.
Heyo
Veteran Member
Then what is unreal? If everything is real, nothing is, as that concept only makes sense in contrast to an opposite.
Koldo
Outstanding Member
That's not quite what I was asking.
Let 'x' be an object that exists but that you (or everyone if that matters) will never conceive of in your entire existence. Is 'x' real? If yes, why? If not, do you have any word in particular to distinguish between x's existence and other existences?
Yes it's real because we can conceive of such a concept, as you've just demonstrated, even though we have yet to learn what it is. We do this all the time, really.
Yes, you got it
Koldo
Outstanding Member
But 'x' is indeterminate. It is a place holder for some other thing, which you will never conceive of.
Does the unknown soldier fail to exist because he is unknown?
PureX
Veteran Member
Interestingly, it's a profoundly moot question. Because it cannot ever "really" be asked.
Koldo
Outstanding Member
Please do elaborate.
Koldo
Outstanding Member
Is he unreal if no one, not even himself, ever acknowledges his existence?
No, because his existence has been acknowledge even though he is unknown.
Koldo
Outstanding Member
How so? How can you acknowledge that which you do not know?
PureX
Veteran Member
You had to 'answer' the question just to ask it.
What you're really trying to ask, I think, is what is the relationship between "reality" and "existence". So I am asking you this. What do you think is the relationship between "reality" and "existence"?