Existence: A Chinese Perspective

In a posting on Google Groups mathematical logic group, "Is Existence a property of something?",

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.philosophy/browse_thread/thread/7c2c191a9925e2d/b9b88c1f41e106ac?lnk=gst&q=jkraus_1999&rnum=1#b9b88c1f41e106ac


I suggested the possiblity that "existence", despite its important mathematical implications, is, effectively, a concept with no specific meaning. I've lately been exploring this notion in a debate on a Chinese philosophy site, in Chinese, and I think some of the linguistic and cultural aspects of the discussion there may actually have some mathematical implications. See,

http://groups.google.com/group/cultstudy/browse_thread/thread/277c9464d12ee7c0/0e067f4c76225f99?lnk=arm#0e067f4c76225f99

Bearing in mind the work of Hilbert, suggesting that self-consistency is the basis of mathematical existence, and Godel's uncertainty theorem, effectively undermining the concept of mathematical consistency itself, a broad-based philosophical analysis may be of interest.

In Chinese, the same two-characters are used for the english words "presence" and "existence" (see the link above, for the chinese). In western societies, these two concepts have different meanings. Basically, when something exists, it is tied into a broader framwork of reality. When something is present, we are aware of it, but it may or may not be real.

I don't believe this concept of a "universal, objective reality" is nearly as clear in Chinese culture as it is in the West. Neither is the concept of existence. And, bear in mind, the scientific method, as such, never really developed in China. Neither did modern mathematics.


Bear in mind, China is, traditionally, a fairly atheistic culture. In particular, there is no traditional concept of a universal, anthropomorphic deity, in Chinese culture. As a consequence, I believe, there is much less of a sense of man as the "master of nature". To what extent is this concept of man as "the master of nature" necessary as an assumption for the pursuit of modern mathematics and science?

In Genesis 1, God speaks, and his word becomes reality. In the Gospel according to John, 1:1-14, the "word" is the beginning of all things, and God is in the word. Then, the "word" is made flesh and blood, as a man.

In the Chinese bible John, 1:1-14, "word" is translated as "way". This is from the Daoist Chinese philosophy, the "way". "Words", as such, in chinese, have no specific power, on their own. To what extent does the Chinese perspective challenge western assumptions regarding reality, science, and mathematics?