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Definition of entity

Monist January 06, 2020 at 21:26 2475 views 9 comments
What is the best definition of entity?

Comments (9)

Dude January 06, 2020 at 21:28 #369189
Personal or corporate?
TheMadFool January 06, 2020 at 21:42 #369193
Quoting Monist
entity


A variable that stands for what is being considered.
jgill January 07, 2020 at 00:15 #369218
A thing? I give up. What's the answer? :worry:
Pfhorrest January 07, 2020 at 00:28 #369221
Literally, something that is. “Entity” comes from ”ontos” which means “being”, and “to be” is the infinitive of “is”.
Gus Lamarch January 07, 2020 at 00:33 #369224
Quoting Monist
What is the best definition of entity?


"Entity" is the concept of being itself, there is no such thing as a "self" without the "entity". You can say that "entity" is what makes us, "Us".
jgill January 07, 2020 at 04:12 #369279
And what of the word "being" ? Quite a bit of philosophy seems to revolve around that concept, and it has always been suspect for me. A Manhattan tower resting on questionable foundations IMO. :chin:
charles ferraro January 09, 2020 at 04:01 #369970
Whatever human consciousness can intend, be it in a pre-reflective or reflective way, is an entity.
180 Proof January 09, 2020 at 06:05 #369995
Reply to Monist :point: Reply to Pfhorrest :point:

"To be is to be the value of a variable." ~W.V.O. Quine
Wayfarer January 09, 2020 at 08:40 #370025
Quoting Monist
What is the best definition of entity?


IBM is an entity. As is the Australian Navy. It's a fancy word for 'thing' (as in, 'is that "a thing?"') Speaking of which, there's a Heidegger book called What is a Thing? which is exactly about this.