So here is a two-part philosophical question I would like to survey your thoughts on. And it is a two-part question because I am not sure if—or even how—it can be separated into distinct questions, so I’ll ask them together. (And this is a vitally important question to contemplate, for it possesses very serious ramifications for both ontology and epistemology together.)
- Is there a difference between real and exist?
- Can something be real but not exist?
- Can something exist but not be real?
It almost seems as though there is no difference, that they are interchangeable terms; by saying that something is real we are saying that it exists, or by saying that it exists we are saying that it is real. That seems right. But is it? Is there no difference? What does it mean for X to be real?
Of course, we have to avoid the easy temptation of defining ‘real’ as correspondence to reality because, first of all, that would amount to an empty tautology which fails to impart any information and, more importantly, correspondence is widely recognized as a distinct theory of truth. (If reality is a predicate of truth, then ‘real’ and ‘true’ cannot be interchangeable terms. Think about it: if truth is that which corresponds to reality, and ‘real’ and ‘true’ both mean the same thing, then we are left with a theory that is not instructive. To say that “true is that which corresponds to truth” has about as much meaning as “real is that which corresponds to reality.”)
So if correspondence to reality is what it means for X to be true, then what does it mean for X to be real? Someone might suggest, “X is real when it has existence.” And therein lies the rub, calling upon the significance of my question. That statement seems to imply that if something does not exist then it is not real.
It’s an interesting question, and far deeper than it first appears. Should we understand that ‘real’ and ‘exist’ are two different things? But if ‘real’ and ‘exist’ don’t mean the same thing, then how can something be real but not exist, or exist but not be real?
If you have some insights or some probative questions that can help put this issue into gear, post your contribution in the Comments field. Or if you know a philosopher who has addressed this specific question, leave a recommendation.
