Phenomenological Reviews

Series | Book | Chapter

182287

Außersein of the pure object

Dale Jacquette

pp. 59-81

Abstract

Meinong's mature doctrine of the Außersein of the pure object implies that any intended object can be considered independently of its ontic status, literally outside of being and non-being (jenseits von Sein und Nichtsein). The doctrine is crucial to Meinong's inclusion in the object theory domain of every intended object without consideration for its existence or failure to exist, on the intensional Leibnizian identity condition basis of its possessing uniquely distinguishing properties. Meinong's transition from a theory of Quasisein to Außersein is discussed as historical background to the development of his later fully realized object theory (Gegenstandstheorie). Meinong's category of Außersein is not so much a realm of intended objects as it is an aspect of every object, regardless of whether or not it exists in the dynamic physical order or abstract universe. It is a limit imposed in logic and theory of meaning for purposes of reference and possibility of true predication of constitutive properties to intended objects, that they be considered only with respect to their qualifications as intended objects, which is to say in terms of their intensional Leibnizian constitutive property-related identity conditions, whatever it is that makes the round square ≠ the golden mountain ≠ the Taj Mahal.

Publication details

Published in:

Jacquette Dale (2015) Alexius Meinong, the shepherd of non-being. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 59-81

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-18075-5_4

Full citation:

Jacquette Dale (2015) Außersein of the pure object, In: Alexius Meinong, the shepherd of non-being, Dordrecht, Springer, 59–81.