History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 139 - By the Time I Get to Phoenix - Avicenna on Existence
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Jul 28, 2013 AI Snips
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Invented Sister Illustrates Possibility
- Peter Adamson invents a non-existent sister who joined the circus to introduce modal questions about possibility and existence.
- The quirky story illustrates how things can seem possible even if they never actually exist.
Modality Tied To Natures, Not Frequency
- Avicenna ties modality to both propositions and the natures of things, not just to frequency of occurrence.
- He builds on Aristotle but rejects the statistical view that equates impossibility with never occurring.
Essence Versus Existence Distinction
- Avicenna distinguishes essence from existence: an essence doesn't determine whether something exists.
- Contingent things have essences compatible with both existence and non-existence.