Therefore...

Therefore, it is not possible to have a way to the truth of existence, unless via intuition by inner insight not by way of definition and limiting, by demonstration and reasoning, as by understanding by words and terms..." Existence and Quiddity When we study some evidence of reality like the existence of "I”, of "the earth", of a "tree", or of "whiteness" and so on, we realize that we have many conceptions of things like "tree", "earth" , "I", "whiteness" and so on, and each of them differs from the others.

But, in spite of their differences they have one similarity, namely that "all of them exist and have reality outside mind." So, we know that we have two notions of things, one of them is notions like tree, whiteness, earth, etc., and the other is the notion of existence or reality that is connected to all of those notions. We name the first one thing-ness, or "quiddity", and the second one "existence".

If we observe carefully we will realize that our mental concept of existence is contrary to the concept of things like tree, the earth, whiteness, etc. to which we ascribe existence. Our reason abstracts quiddity - which is said in answer to the "what of definition” - from existence, conceives it, and then ascribes existence to it in the mind.

This means that existence is additional and like an accident to quiddity in the mind, and the concept of that existence is not the same as that of a quiddity or any part of it. This difference can be realized just by surveying our mind and its conception of existence and quiddity. There is no need to demonstrate it, but we can argue for it as follows6: 1- It is possible to negate existence from quiddity.

If existence is identified with quiddity or is a part of it, then negating this from that can not be true because it is absurd to negate something or any part of a reality from itself. 2- Predication of existence to quiddity needs reason. Therefore, it cannot be identified with quiddity; and since there is no need to prove the essential characteristic of something. But as quiddity does need a proof for its existence, existence is not a part of quiddity.

It must be added that existence has two aspects, one external and mental. But even in the mind the separation of quiddity from existence is not conceivable. It is obtainable only by rational analysis and laboring, because what is in the mind is a "mental existence" just as something in the external world is an "external existence".