"Existing"? What do you mean??

[quatona]

My custom title ("God"? What do you mean??) points out that "God" isn´t sufficiently well defined to make the question "Does God exist?" a two value question (yes/no).
But it seems to me that there´s a similar problem with the other keyterm - "existing":
"Existing"? What do you mean??" or possibly even better: "Existing? In which way??"
Do thoughts, ideas, feelings, beliefs exist? Do objects exist? Does love exist? Do processes exist? Do relationships exist? Do movements exist? Do abstractions exist?
Typically, these questions are answered "yes" without much hesitation - even though these answers imply very different meanings of "existing", and some of these meanings would allow for "Yes, God exists" even to me as a non-believer.

 

[victorinus]

the word 'exist' has been corrupted -
evil does not exist just as yellow does not exist -
a yellow table does exist -
an evil person does exist -
technically nothing exists -
it is all an illusion of a non-dual nature
-but-
the illusion is real -
we are real

 

[quatona]

the word 'exist' has been corrupted

What´s the uncorrupted meaning?

 

[victorinus]

What´s the uncorrupted meaning?

just google it
nouns exist -
adjectives do not -
adjectives depend on the noun -
they cannot exist by themselves

 

[quatona]

just google it

Ah, I thought you meant that the current definition is corrupted...

nouns exist -
adjectives do not -
adjectives depend on the noun -
they cannot exist by themselves

Funnily enough, when I look up the definition of the noun (existence) it is defined by reference to the adjective and the verb.
Dictionary.com
noun
1.
the state or fact of existing; being.
2.
continuance in being or life; life:
a struggle for existence.
3.
mode of existing:
They were working for a better existence.
4.
all that exists:
Existence shows a universal order.
5.
something that exists; entity; being.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

To interject: According to Wittgenstein simplistically stated, Meaning is Use.

Thus even if someone is a non-believer but uses the term 'God', he is acknowledging existence in some form. Other terms are usually required to make clear what someone really means like actuality or such, but language can be notoriously imprecise.

 

[victorinus]

but language can be notoriously imprecise

no -
the way some use words can be notoriously imprecise

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

no -
the way some use words can be notoriously imprecise

I refer to the previous post - Meaning is Use.

 

[quatona]

To interject: According to Wittgenstein simplistically stated, Meaning is Use.

Thus even if someone is a non-believer but uses the term 'God', he is acknowledging existence in some form.

Indeed. That´s why I was suggesting to alter the question "Do you believe God exist?" to "In which way do you believe God exists?".

 

[durangodawood]

no -
the way some use words can be notoriously imprecise

So, whats the one precise definition of "exist"?

The dictionary has been invoked here, but it failed to provide one precise definition.

 

[Tull]

Depends on what the definition of "is" is

 

[John Hyperspace]

My custom title ("God"? What do you mean??) points out that "God" isn´t sufficiently well defined to make the question "Does God exist?" a two value question (yes/no).
But it seems to me that there´s a similar problem with the other keyterm - "existing":
"Existing"? What do you mean??" or possibly even better: "Existing? In which way??"
Do thoughts, ideas, feelings, beliefs exist? Do objects exist? Does love exist? Do processes exist? Do relationships exist? Do movements exist? Do abstractions exist?
Typically, these questions are answered "yes" without much hesitation - even though these answers imply very different meanings of "existing", and some of these meanings would allow for "Yes, God exists" even to me as a non-believer.

A very excellent and astute question showing a good understanding of the necessity of meaningful communication. I've considered the question, and the best I could answer "what is 'existence'?" is that, to affect is to exist. That which affects, exists. When it comes down to it, what exists? Consciousness exists, and, God is consciousness in the form of the whole.

 

[victorinus]

So, whats the one precise definition of "exist"?

we are not here to define words
-
let the writer beware,
we will assume the dictionary definition

 

[durangodawood]

we are not here to define words
-
let the writer beware,
we will assume the dictionary definition

There is no THE dictionary definition.

If the word is precise as you claim, providing THE definition should be easy.

 

[victorinus]

would you agree that -
light does not exist
-but-
the source of that light does

 

[Tull]

If tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it does it make a sound ?

If a man says something and a woman doesn't hear it is he still wrong ?

Why do we drive on parkways and park in drive ways ?

 

[victorinus]

If tree falls in the woods and nobody is there to hear it does it make a sound ?

yes

 

[Chesterton]

My custom title ("God"? What do you mean??) points out that "God" isn´t sufficiently well defined to make the question "Does God exist?" a two value question (yes/no).
But it seems to me that there´s a similar problem with the other keyterm - "existing":
"Existing"? What do you mean??" or possibly even better: "Existing? In which way??"
Do thoughts, ideas, feelings, beliefs exist? Do objects exist? Does love exist? Do processes exist? Do relationships exist? Do movements exist? Do abstractions exist?
Typically, these questions are answered "yes" without much hesitation - even though these answers imply very different meanings of "existing", and some of these meanings would allow for "Yes, God exists" even to me as a non-believer.

Shakespeare said all the world's a stage and quantum physics agrees with him. Consciousness is all that exists, and I agree with the second video that theism is the only alternative to solipsism.

 

[Chesterton]

If a man says something and a woman doesn't hear it is he still wrong ?

Technically, you don't have to even speak to be wrong. I've had women tell me "get that look off your face".

 

[Aryeh]

If a man says something and a woman doesn't hear it is he still wrong ?

Of course he is...