Fictional objects, non-existence, and the principle of characterization
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Philosophical Studies: An International Journal for Philosophy in the Analytic Tradition
Publication Date
5-1-2012
Volume
159
Issue
1
First Page
139
Last Page
146
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Keywords
Fictional objects, Non-existence, Principle of characterization, Graham priest, Noneism, Fiction, Possible worlds
Abstract
I advance an objection to Graham Priest’s account of fictional entities as nonexistent objects. According to Priest, fictional characters do not have, in our world, the properties they are represented as having; for example, the property of being a bank clerk is possessed by Joseph K. not in our world but in other worlds. Priest claims that, in this way, his theory can include an unrestricted principle of characterization for objects. Now, some representational properties attributed to fictional characters, a kind of fictional entities, involve a crucial reference to the world in which they are supposed to be instantiated. I argue that these representational properties are problematic for Priest’s theory and that he cannot accept an unrestricted version of the principle of characterization. Thus, while not refuting Priest’s theory, I show that it is no better off than other Meinongian theories.
DOI
10.1007/s11098-010-9694-x
Print ISSN
00318116
E-ISSN
15730883
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Sauchelli, A. (2012). Fictional objects, non-existence, and the principle of characterization. Philosophical Studies, 159(1), 139-146. doi: 10.1007/s11098-010-9694-x