The Existence Principle, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1998 Philosophical Studies Series, Vol. 75

When we ask whether something exists, we expect a yes or no answer, not a further query about what kind of existence, how much of it, whether we mean existence for you or existence for me, or whether we are asking about some property which it might have.
In this book, this simple requirement is defended and pursued into its various and sometimes surprising implications. In the course of this pursuit, such questions arise as `Do appearances exist?' `Do unknowable things exist?' `Do past and future exist?' `Does God necessarily exist?' This novel and non-technical approach to important philosophical questions will be of interest to senior students of philosophy and, indeed, to all general readers with philosophical interests.

1. The Concept of Existence.- Uses of the word ‘exist’.- The elementary concept of existence.- The existence principle.- 2. The Defense of the Existence Principle.- The appeal to misunderstanding.- The appeal to logic.- The appeal to unacceptable consequences.- 3. Realism and the Existence Principle.- Knowledge-dependent existence.- Knowledge-dependence and the law of excluded middle.- Degrees of existence.- The path to relativism.- Scepticism and knowledge-dependence.- 4. Appearance and Intentionality.- Appearances.- Saving the appearances.- Intentionality.- Non-existent objects.- Other solutions?.- 5. Perspectives and Partial Truths.- Perspectives and space.- A misleading metaphor.- Perspectives and grades of existence—partial truths.- Better perspectives and wider perspectives.- Perspectives and relativism.- 6. The Law of Excluded Middle.- Presuppositions and limits.- Shadows and appearances.- Indeterminate objects.- Ways of avoiding indeterminacy.- (a) Phenomenal objects.- (b) Vague objects.- (c) Microphysical objects.- 7. Time and Existence.- Time-independent and time-dependent existence.- Indeterminacy of the future.- Tensed existence.- Temporal perspectives.- 8. Universals and Properties.- The existence of universals.- (a) Kinds of existence—Platonism.- (b) Dependent existence—Aristotelianism.- The existence of properties.- Existence and mutual dependence.- Relations and events.- 9. Necessary and Possible Existence.- Necessity as a relation.- Further elucidation of necessity.- Possibility.- Existence of the possible.- Non-existence of the possible.- 10. Perfection and Existence.- References.