Subjects and objects have a property {existence} {being} of being in nature. Being is about objects and substance, as opposed to process and change. Existences are descriptions or predicates. Existences are not object essences, names, or particular things. Laws or principles do not make existences.
First-order existence indicates that objects are real. Second-order existence indicates that objects act real. Fictional objects have second-order existence, because they are not actually real. Because signals take time to travel, particles have no clear beginning or ending of existence.
Metaphysics can study which substances exist {ontology}|. Ontology is about being and existence. Being can have different modes. Beings can be abstract, concrete, universal, or particular. Beings can occupy space and time, be outside space and/or time, be independent of other being, be parts of other being, be parts of hierarchies, or be otherwise dependent.
Copulas {is, existence} can ascribe existence to something. "Is" as copula can ascribe being {attribution, copula} as classes or categories, of which things are examples {instantiation, copula}.
Used as copula, "is" can ascribe being as a quality {copulative}|.
Used as copula, "is" can ascribe being as a class {class inclusion}.
Used as copula, "is" can ascribe being as a substance {constitution, substance} {existential}.
Used as copula, "is" can ascribe being as substitutability or equivalence {identity, equivalence} {equivalence, identity} {numerical identity}.
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Date Modified: 2022.0225