Meinong and Husserl on existence

two solutions of the paradox of non-existence

Giuliano Bacigalupo

pp. 39-51

in: Peter Schroeder-Heister (ed), Logic and Philosophy of Science in Nancy (I), Philosophia Scientiae 18 (3), 2014.

Abstract

This paper analyzes and compares the attempts at solving the paradox of non-existence put forward by Alexius Meinong and Edmund Husserl. It will be argued that Meinong's solution is not convincing since he retreats from the field of predicate logic, in which the paradox arises, to a version of propositional logic. On the other hand, Husserl's approach is more promising since he moves forward to an extension of predicate logic, where existential judgments have to be interpreted in relation to different contexts or, in Husserl's terminology, “spheres” or “levels of being”.

Cited authors

Husserl Edmund

Meinong Alexius