Being

Philosophical term for existence.

Being is a philosophical term referring to existence or the state of being.

/biːɪŋ/

From Old English being, from Proto-West Germanic *bījan (to be), present participle.

Being is a big word philosophers use to talk about what it means for something to exist, like you and me or a tree.

The term 'being' is central to the philosophical tradition of ontology
Ancient Greek philosophers like Parmenides focused heavily on the nature of being
The concept of 'being' is often contrasted with 'non-being'

What does 'being' mean? It refers to existence or reality
Is it a concrete thing? Philosophers debate whether 'being' applies only to physical objects or also includes abstract concepts
Who uses the term? Philosophers, especially those interested in metaphysics and ontology

existence entity

nonexistence

philosophy ontology

person object state of being

universe reality

philosophical concept