Since he uses the terminology of "thing" (res) for both concepts, he was criticized for turning "existence" into a thing, which itself exists only if another thing "existence" is added, and so on ad infinitum.
Russell therefore made a distinction between what can be known by acquaintance and what can be known only by description i.e., between things whose existence cannot be doubted and things about whose existence, at least theoretically, doubt can be raised.
Thomas Aquinas held that among the things whose existence needs explanation are contingent beings that depend for their existence upon other beings.
There are more than 1,500 of these things in existence; evidently they will all be accommodated in the show's catalog, which will live up to the title.
I used to believe I could will things into existence but now I am older I know it doesn't work that way".
Christianity's doctrines are more easily explained but require believing improvable things – the existence of God, souls, and eternal life in heaven, for example.
One of the most exciting moments for us so far was when author Neil Gaiman wrote just after midnight, "Because I can lie beautiful true things into existence, & let people escape from inside their own heads & see through other eyes.
He thinks the mind proper, rather than those things its existence depends on (most notably, the brain), are either potentially introspectible or discoverable through the study of social practices — that is, intersubjectivity.
This definition does not fit material substance, of course, but it is devised in order to be able to apply the term substance to the immaterial things whose existence has been established in natural philosophy.
The things whose existence is fundamental in the Darwinian story, on the other hand, are neither mysterious nor contentious, such as the tendency to reciprocate kindness and extend help to those in need.
