Single Idea 1643

[catalogued under 7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 3. Being / e. Being and nothing]

Full Idea

When the question was put to us as to the name of 'that which is not', to whatever one must apply it, we got stuck in every kind of perplexity. Are we now in any less perplexity about 'that which is'?

Gist of Idea

If statements about non-existence are logically puzzling, so are statements about existence

Source

Plato (The Sophist [c.358 BCE], 250d)

Book Reference

Plato: 'The Sophist', ed/tr. Bernadete,Seth [University of Chicago 1986], p.45


A Reaction

Nice. This precapitulates the whole story of modern philosophy of language. What started as a nagging doubt about reference to non-existents ends as bewilderment about everything we say.