Table of Contents

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.

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