Existence

High school (ages 12+)
Philosophy & Big Questions

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/existence

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the ontological scope?Encompasses physical objects, abstract entities, fictional characters, and potential states
2. What is the historical thinkers?Parmenides, Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Hume, Sartre
3. What does it mean to exist?Existence means having objective reality or being. It is the most basic idea we can use to talk about anything.
4. Do toys and my dreams really exist?Toys are physical objects, so they exist in the world. Dreams are thoughts inside our minds, and they also exist as ideas, but they don't occupy space like toys.

Ontology: The branch of metaphysics concerned with the nature of being and existence.
Abstract Entities: Non-physical things such as numbers, concepts, or universals.
Existentialism: A philosophy emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice.