WikiDiscuss

It's possible to fear something which no longer exists or which never
existed. The fear is real and in this world regardless of the reality of
the feared. That's about all I have to report about the fact that
existence is not a factor in intensional references, while it is for
extensions and typicals.

John E Clifford wrote:

>1. OK. What is the probolem here. There is nothing in the external world thatI fear. But surely there is something in the world of my beliefs or imagination or wherever it s that the objects of fear reside. Otherwise by what right is it that we say I fear something?
>xod <xod@thestonecutters.net> wrote:John E Clifford wrote:
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>>I'll get to RXS itself later; this is just cleaning up my inbox.
>>1. An arguable point: can't we talk about a typical unicorn even if there aren't any unicorns? Or maybe that is just stereotypical.
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>>2. the conditions on intensional cases is the same as on extensional, it is just that the relevant world is different (no longer this one).
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>1.Consider the case of fearing something which doesn't actually exist.
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Motorists honked in celebration in this Ramadi as news spread of the assassination of the president of the Iraqi Governing Council Ezzidin Salim Monday. "The GC is nothing," one man shouted. "They are not the Governing Council. They are the Prostitution Council."