Is exist a predicate?

Kant’s claim that “existence” is not a predicate is based on his view about what a predicate is. We begin therefore with some background. The concept of a predicate comes from grammar or, more precisely, from as grammar as it was developed long ago as part of logic.

What does Descartes say about existence?

In the Fifth Meditation and elsewhere Descartes says that God’s existence follows from the fact that existence is contained in the “true and immutable essence, nature, or form” of a supremely perfect being, just as it follows from the essence of a triangle that its angles equal two right angles.

Why is existence not a predicate?

When Kant asserted that “existence is not a real predicate”, what he meant was that existence cannot be an essential property of anything (that it was an inherently accidental property), and therefore cannot be an essential property of God. Kant meant that existence was similar to, say, location.

Who said existence is not a predicate?

Kant
In Only Possible Ground Kant objects to the ontological argument that “existence is not a predicate or a determination of a thing” (2:72) and in the first Critique he writes that “being is obviously not a real predicate” (A598/B626). In this section, I explain what I think these claims mean.

What does existence is not a predicate mean?

Why is necessary existence a predicate?

Necessary existence is a distinguishing characteristic which sets God apart and therefore can be used as a predicate.

What does the Bible say about why I exist?

It declares why you exist. It captures the heart of why you are on this earth and why Jesus died for you. It defines your life—not in terms of what you think but what God thinks. It anchors your life in the character and call of God.

“Existence Is Not a Predicate” by Immanuel Kant Thalers, used during Immanuel Kant’s lifetime, (The Prussian “dollar.”) Being is evidently not a real predicate, that is, a conception of something which is added to the conception of some other thing.

Does the set of predicates increase when you say x exists?

If existence is a predicate, in addition to the other predicates applicable, them “X exists” should add something new to the concept of X but that isn’t the case: the set of predicates applicable to X is not increased by stating “X exists”. All the statement that “X exists” does is make a claim about reality.

What is the meaning of predicate?

By predicate, I think he means a “property” of the entity, for example, the predicate of being tall. This is the meaning that I’m aware of and which is the meaning we use in mathematical logic. Show activity on this post. Mathematical logic, and the associated notion of the existential quantifier, were invented only after Kant’s time.

Can the nature of existence be conceived by reason alone?

I embrace much of Kant’s Critique’ relating to the fact that existence (the nature of) can never be conceived by reason alone, but if you remove ‘is’ from ordinary language, you either get some variation of an a priori logical abstract (which is fine) or something nonsensical. Thoughts?