One can imagine a garden without having a garden in front of oneself. Having that idea and there being a corresponding garden outside the mind are different propositions.
A mental conception concerns what is represented in thought. External existence concerns whether a thing is actually there independently of that thought.
Thus, “I imagined a castle” does not establish “that castle exists.” The distinction is essential when evaluating claims about the realities of things.
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Realities Are Established: Truth, Correspondence and Essence
One can imagine a garden without having a garden in front of oneself. Having that idea and there being a corresponding garden outside the mind are different propositions.
A mental conception concerns what is represented in thought. External existence concerns whether a thing is actually there independently of that thought.
Thus, “I imagined a castle” does not establish “that castle exists.” The distinction is essential when evaluating claims about the realities of things.