Noneism, also known as modal Meinongianism
(named after
Alexius Meinong), is a theory in
logic and
metaphysics. It holds that some things do not exist. It was first coined by
Richard Routley in 1980 and appropriated again in 2005 by
Graham Priest.
Overview
Noneism holds that some things do not exist. That is, we can quantify over
non-existent object
An object of the mind is an object that exists in the imagination, but which, in the real world, can only be represented or modeled. Some such objects are abstractions, literary concepts, or fictional scenarios.
Closely related are intentional ob ...
s ("items") using the so-called particular quantifier (also known—misleadingly in the view of noneists—as the
existential quantifier). They also hold that "there is" is like "exist", rather than like the particular quantifier. Thus, they deny that ''there are'' things that do not exist. On this theory, there are no
empty names In metaphysics and the philosophy of language, an empty name is a proper name that has no referent.
The problem of empty names is the idea that empty names have a meaning when it seems they should not have. The name "Pegasus" is empty; there is n ...
, wherefore the "problem of empty names" that afflicts many theories about names (in particular,
Millianism
In the philosophy of language, a proper name examples include a name of a specific person or place is a name which ordinarily is taken to uniquely identify its referent in the world. As such it presents particular challenges for theories of mea ...
), is not a problem at all.
While Priest also espouses
dialetheism, he maintains that his dialetheism is mostly capable of being separated out from his noneism. The connection is that impossible objects may exist in impossible worlds, much as nonexistent objects may exist in possible (but not actual) worlds.
Richard Routley's book, ''Exploring Meinong's Jungle and Beyond: An Investigation of Noneism and the Theory of Items'', was published in 1980, while the first edition of Priest's book entitled ''Towards Non-Being: The Logic and Metaphysics of Intentionality'' was published in 2005 (second revised edition in 2016).
See also
*
Abstract object theory
*
Meinong's jungle
*
Plato's beard
*
Possible world
*
Round square copula
In metaphysics and the philosophy of language, the round square copula is a common example of the dual copula strategy used in reference to the problem of nonexistent objects as well as their relation to problems in modern philosophy of language.
...
References
20th-century philosophy
Non-classical logic
Metaphysical theories
Abstract object theory
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