College of the Mind - Philosophy

Adult Version

Lesson 2 - Existence

by Duane Bristow

I think, therefore I am! But what else is?

Which of the following things exist?

A rock
Water
Fog
A deer
Superman
A dream
A thought
Love
A soul
Good
Evil
George Washington
Your not yet conceived child
A shadow
A flashlight beam
Your mirror image
The star you see in the nighttime sky which is 100 light years away and, unknown to you, was destroyed 50 years ago.
Empty space
The person you were at age 10
Abraham Lincoln's ax which has had 10 new heads and 12 new handles since Abraham Lincoln owned it
A black hole which no one can see and which swallows up all evidence of its existence
A quark
The edge of the universe
Anything beyond the edge of the universe
The beginning of time or the end of time
Anything before the beginning or after the end of time
The Internet - check this link

If I cease to exist, will these other things exist or is their existence dependent on my knowledge of them?

Assignments

This is not a test. It is an exercise to help you learn by doing research and by thinking. Look up internet references and books on philosophy. Ask me questions by email.
See The Multiple Meanings of Metaphysics.
Use the keyword "metaphysics" on Internet search engines like yahoo, etc.

Think about the answers to these questions. Write the answers; at least in outline form. After reflecting on this write an essay to answer the question, "What is the nature of existence?" Send me the essay by email.

College of the Mind

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Last revised May 8, 1996.

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Duane Bristow (72711.1414@compuserve.com)