What makes something fictional and something real ?

[Heyo]

From my memory, I see Ficta as a term used by Philosophy students to mean Fictional entities. I am not too familiar with Academic
Philosophy.

It took some time but I found the term in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

1. • • Fictional characters belong to the class of entities variously known as fictional entities or fictional objects or ficta, a class that includes not just animate objects of fiction (fictional persons, animals, monsters, and so on) but also inanimate objects of fiction such as fictional places (Anthony Trollope’s cathedral town of Barchester and Tolkien’s home of the elves, Rivendell, for example).
     plato.stanford.edu › entries › fictional-entities
     Fictional Entities - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
2. People also ask

Good to know there's a shorter version for "fictional entity".

As I said, I think these ficta do exist - when they are written consistently. Some ficta do not exist, or at least their existence is dubious. Even ficta have to have consistency. Something that is logically impossible, like YHVH in the bible, is so contradictory that no consensus among readers can be found about its attributes. It does not exist as a single recognizable entity. Sometimes that can be mended by referring to a distinct version of the character. E.g.: Lucifer in the TV series Lucifer is a version of the Lucifer character from the Sandman comix series.

 

[dybmh]

I agree on nested, related concepts, but I think it's the other way around.
Existence is the broader concept. E.g.: we say that Spider-Man "exists" as a character in the MCU. Real is only what exists in reality, i.e. can be measured with a scientific instrument.
There are other levels of existence besides real and fictional, as I have pointed out (and frequently linked) in 5 Planes of Existence

In American English ( and perhaps elsewhere ) we have an expression: "Same-Difference". Often online it is written more casually: "Potayto / Potahto" as if the 2 individuals are simply speaking two different dialects of English, but are saying the exact same thing, "potato", and the only difference is the pronounciation of the middle syllable. This specific example of a "Same-Difference" is perhaps most memorable when it is layered over music. Perhaps you're familiar with the song? It's famous here in America, or at least, it used to be famous.

Potayto, Potahto, Potayto, Potahto, Let's call the whole thing off.

Do you have a corresponding expression in German? "Same-Difference"? "Potayto-Potahto"?

( BTW, it's nice to see I've made it off your ignore list. How have you been? )

 

[Heyo]

Do you have a corresponding expression in German? "Same-Difference"? "Potayto-Potahto"?

We call it "das selbe in grün" (the same thing in green). (Don't ask me how that originated.)

( BTW, it's nice to see I've made it off your ignore list. How have you been? )

I cleared my ignore list a few months ago and as of now it is still empty.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Who's to say fictional characters aren't real ? If they aren't real then why did people create them ?

It's kind of an oxymoron actually. Even fictional things , and say people who believe everything is a simulation , you have to agree that even a simulation has its reality.

 

[Eddi]

Who's to say fictional characters aren't real ? If they aren't real then why did people create them ?

Are you suggesting that Buggs Bunny is somehow real?????

I mean he does exist, as a fictional character

As opposed to how you and I exist

 

[Stonetree]

In American English ( and perhaps elsewhere ) we have an expression: "Same-Difference". Often online it is written more casually: "Potayto / Potahto" as if the 2 individuals are simply speaking two different dialects of English, but are saying the exact same thing, "potato", and the only difference is the pronounciation of the middle syllable. This specific example of a "Same-Difference" is perhaps most memorable when it is layered over music. Perhaps you're familiar with the song? It's famous here in America, or at least, it used to be famous.

Potayto, Potahto, Potayto, Potahto, Let's call the whole thing off.

Do you have a corresponding expression in German? "Same-Difference"? "Potayto-Potahto"?

( BTW, it's nice to see I've made it off your ignore list. How have you been? )

If the potatoes are 'something that exists' vs 'something that is real' I am more familiar with real to suggest an entity in reality. While I am familiar with 'exists' to be able to suggest an entity such as 'thought'. However, I have a correct vs incorrect ratio of 50/50.

 

[Massimo2002]

Are you suggesting that Buggs Bunny is somehow real?????

I mean he does exist, as a fictional character

As opposed to how you and I exist

If someone is in costume as him or any other character then yes to me they are real.

 

[Eddi]

If someone is in costume as him or any other character then yes to me they are real.

Not for me

That would just be a person dressed up as him

By that logic me dressing up as Donald Trump would mean I was actually Donald Trump

Which would be ridiculous

 

[dybmh]

Not for me

That would just be a person dressed up as him

By that logic me dressing up as Donald Trump would mean I was actually Donald Trump

Which would be ridiculous

When you dress up AS Donald Trump it is confirmation that there is a real character named Donald Trump with the attributes included in the costume.

If someone is in costume as him or any other character then yes to me they are real.

Key word above: character