I believe everything exists.

[Edwardo Piet]

If a non-existent thing can exist, what is it? What is a non-existent thing? What do you mean by existence therefore? What does it mean to exist?

[Existentialist]

Anything that one's imagination can bring into existence, exists. It exists in one's internal reality, in the mind. But many of these things are non-existent in one's external reality, the universe around us. We usually use the word 'exist' as shorthand for 'something that appears to exist in our external reality'. So a non-existent thing in my external reality can exist in my internal reality. A non-existent thing therefore exists.

[Darwinian]

Non-existent things don't exist Q.E.D. Unless of course you are redefining the word 'existence' in which case anything is possible :S

[Existentialist]

It really depends on which reality we are talking about. A fifteen-headed green-bearded unicorn with purple LED hoof lights does not exist. Or at least, it didn't until I just invented it. Now it exists in my imagination. Oh dear, it also seems to exist in your imagination too - sorry about that. It is, however, non-existent in our external reality. But being non-existent there doesn't prevent it existing elsewhere, i.e. in the mind. Therefore a non-existent thing can exist. You don't have to re-define existence, but it does help to qualify it, I agree. I wouldn't suggest that qualifying it is mandatory, however. If it were mandatory, EvF would have to be banned from the forum, or at least receive a warning. He said at the start of this thread, "I don't believe God, miracles or magic are things. That's why they don't exist." But according to dictionary.com, this is a thing:-



Therefore, EvF denies that God, miracles or magic are objects of thought, which they clearly are. Is this not the same accusation that has been levelled at me - redefining words? And even that's overlooking that the word thing doesn't even appear in the definition of exist, but I suppose the meaning of 'exist' is what the thread's about so that objection would qualify for exemption under an obscure subsection of the forum rules.

[The Skeptic]

I believe everything exists.

I don't believe God exists. I don't believe miracles exist. I don't believe magic exists.

How is this not a contradiction?

Because I don't believe God, miracles or magic are things. That's why they don't exist.

Everything exists because there's no such thing as a non-existent thing. Because to exist, is to be something, is to be a thing.

That sounds a lot like Ludwig Wittgenstein. To quote from the Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus,

1 The world is all that is the case.
1.1 The world is the totality of facts, not of things.
1.11 The world is determined by the facts, and by their being all the facts.
1.12 For the totality of facts determines what is the case, and also whatever is not the case.
1.13 The facts in logical space are the world.
1.2 The world divides into facts.
1.21 Each item can be the case or not the case while everything else remains the same.
2 What is the case--a fact--is the existence of states of affairs.
2.01 A state of affairs (a state of things) is a combination of objects (things).
2.011 It is essential to things that they should be possible constituents of states of affairs.
2.012 In logic nothing is accidental: if a thing can occur in a state of affairs, the possibility of the
state of affairs must be written into the thing itself

[Welsh cake]

I believe everything exists.

I don't believe God exists. I don't believe miracles exist. I don't believe magic exists.

How about this?

I believe everything real exists.

I don't believe the unreal exists.

[ib.me.ub]

But being non-existent there doesn't prevent it existing elsewhere, i.e. in the mind. Therefore a non-existent thing can exist. You don't have to re-define existence, but it does help to qualify it, I agree.

This is very good, you seem to be the only one to have picked this up and described it reasonably accurately. If something is thought of, it then becomes a thing. And things exist.

You say a non-existent thing can exist, but you probably should say a non-existent thing outside of the mind.

Use of language is very interesting if you ask me.

[Tiberius]

The answer to all philosophical questions can be found in the dictionary. If you go to dictionary.com you will get all the answers you need and we need not waste time any discussing them.

*sigh*

Please...just stop. You aren't impressing anyone.

[ib.me.ub]

EDIT: Dammit, just forget about this post.

[theVOID]

I believe everything exists.

I don't believe God exists. I don't believe miracles exist. I don't believe magic exists.

How is this not a contradiction?

Because I don't believe God, miracles or magic are things. That's why they don't exist.

Everything exists because there's no such thing as a non-existent thing. Because to exist, is to be something, is to be a thing.

God does exist, just only conceptually.