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Chapter 8
- Existential Import
- If a statement has existential import, then its referents must exist in order for the statement to be true.
For example:
I: Some zebras are blue.
If there are such things as zebras and if there is such a thing as the quality blue, then the statement might be true or false.
E: No fish are fleng.
Whether or not there are fish or fleng, the statement could be true or false.
That is, even if there is no such thing as fleng, the statement might be true.
- A & E statements do not have existential import.
For example:
A: All fluders are flum.
This statement may be true or false. It does not matter whether or not fluders or flum exist.
A statements do not have existential import, so the above statement really means: If there is such a thing as a fluder, then it must be flum.
- I & O statements do have existential import.
For example:
O: Some fleedens are flom.
This statement may be true or false. But it does matter whether or not fleedens or flom exist.
O statements do have existential import, so the above statement really means: There are such things as fleedens and some of them are not flom.
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