Kibbitzer 63 | Existence v. Presence |
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The existence of chlorite mineral (1 - 8%) may explain this behaviour. | The presence of chlorite mineral (1 - 8%) may explain this behaviour. |
The second student is researching Medieval Islamic Philosophy. His first language is also Turkish.
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They argue that in the existence of all determinants, namely full power, definite will, proper time and conditions, and the disappearance of all hindrances, the act necessarily occurs. | They argue that in the presence of all determinants, namely full power, definite will, proper time and conditions, and the removal of all hindrances, the act necessarily occurs. |
The central point here is that in these students' second languages of academic study (Farsi and Arabic respectively) the standard translation for both presence and existence is vujud. This helps to explain the difficulty they had in distinguishing between thee two words in English, in which existence is the general term ("Philosophers argue about the existence of God') and presence is the local term ("When he prayed he believed that he was in the presence of God"). The following sentence citations illustrate the difference between the two terms:
8th July 1999 | Consultant: Tim Johns |
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