Article #22-2 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Roget's Thesaurus, by Peter Mark Roget

BEING, IN THE ABSTRACT

#1. Existence.—N. existence, being, entity, ens, esse,
subsistence.
reality, actuality; positiveness &c. adj.; fact, matter of fact,
sober reality; truth &c. 494; actual existence.
presence &c. (existence in space) 186; coexistence &c. 120.
stubborn fact, hard fact; not a dream &c. 515; no joke.
center of life, essence, inmost nature, inner reality, vital
principle.
[Science of existence], ontology.
V. exist, be; have being &c. n.; subsist, live, breathe, stand,
obtain, be the case; occur &c. (event) 151; have place, prevail;
find oneself, pass the time, vegetate.
consist in, lie in; be comprised in, be contained in, be
constituted by.
come into existence &c. n.; arise &c. (begin) 66; come forth &c.
(appear) 446.
become &c. (be converted) 144; bring into existence &c. 161.
abide, continue, endure, last, remain, stay.
Adj. existing &c. v.; existent, under the sun; in existence &c.
n.; extant; afloat, afoot, on foot, current, prevalent;
undestroyed.
real, actual, positive, absolute; true &c. 494; substantial,
substantive; self-existing, self-existent; essential.
well-founded, well-grounded; unideal[obs3], unimagined; not
potential &c. 2; authentic.
Adv. actually &c. adj.; in fact, in point of fact, in reality;
indeed;
de facto, ipso facto.
Phr. ens rationis; ergo sum cogito; "thinkest thou existence
doth depend on time?" [Byron].

#2. Inexistence.—N. inexistence[obs3]; nonexistence, nonsubsistence;
#
nonentity, nil; negativeness &c. adj.; nullity; nihility[obs3],
nihilism;
tabula rasa[Lat], blank; abeyance; absence &c. 187; no such thing &c.
4;
nonbeing, nothingness, oblivion.
annihilation; extinction &c. (destruction) 162; extinguishment,
extirpation, Nirvana, obliteration.
V. not exist &c. 1; have no existence &c. 1; be null and void;
cease
to exist &c. 1; pass away, perish; be extinct, become extinct &c. adj.;
die
out; disappear &c. 449; melt away, dissolve, leave not a rack behind;
go,
be no more; die &c. 360.
annihilate, render null, nullify; abrogate &c. 756; destroy &c.
162;
take away; remove &c. (displace) 185; obliterate, extirpate.
Adj. inexistent[obs3], nonexistent &c. 1; negative, blank;
missing,
omitted; absent &c. 187; insubstantial, shadowy, spectral, visionary.
unreal, potential, virtual; baseless, in nubibus[Lat];
unsubstantial
&c. 4; vain.
unborn, uncreated[obs3], unbegotten, unconceived, unproduced,
unmade.
perished, annihilated, &c. v.; extinct, exhausted, gone, lost,
vanished, departed, gone with the wind; defunct &c. (dead) 360.
fabulous, ideal &c. (imaginary) 515, supposititious &c. 514.
Adv. negatively, virtually &c. adj.
Phr. non ens[Lat].

Explanation

Detailed Explanation of the Excerpt from Roget’s Thesaurus

This passage is taken from Peter Mark Roget’s Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases (first published in 1852), a seminal reference work that categorizes words by their meanings rather than alphabetically. The excerpt presents two contrasting classifications under the broad heading "Being, in the Abstract":

Existence (Section #1)
Inexistence (Section #2)

Roget’s Thesaurus is not a traditional dictionary but a conceptual map of language, grouping synonyms, related terms, and antonyms under hierarchical themes. This particular section explores the metaphysical and linguistic dimensions of being and non-being, reflecting philosophical, scientific, and literary concerns of the 19th century.

1. Context & Significance

Historical & Philosophical Background

Roget, a physician, lexicographer, and polymath, was influenced by Enlightenment rationalism, empirical science, and early positivism. His thesaurus reflects a taxonomic approach to knowledge, akin to Linnaean classification in biology.
The duality of existence/inexistence mirrors philosophical debates from Plato’s Theory of Forms (being vs. becoming) to Hegel’s dialectics (thesis/antithesis) and Schopenhauer’s metaphysics of the Will (existence as suffering, nonexistence as release).
The inclusion of Latin phrases (ens, tabula rasa, in nubibus) and literary allusions (Byron) situates the text in a classical and Romantic intellectual tradition.

Literary & Cultural Significance

Roget’s Thesaurus was revolutionary in organizing language systematically, influencing later works like The Oxford English Dictionary and modern computational linguistics.
The existence/inexistence binary appears in literature (e.g., Shakespeare’s "To be, or not to be"), existential philosophy (Sartre, Camus), and even modern physics (quantum fluctuations, the void).
The Nirvana reference (under "Inexistence") reflects 19th-century European fascination with Eastern philosophies (Buddhism, Hinduism) as alternatives to Western metaphysics.

2. Thematic Analysis

A. Existence (Section #1)

Core Idea:

Existence is presented as affirmative, tangible, and verifiable, encompassing being, reality, and persistence.

Key Themes & Subthemes:

Ontology (The Study of Being)
- Words like entity, ens, esse (Latin for "being") and ontology (the philosophical study of existence) ground the section in metaphysical inquiry.
- The inclusion of "thinkest thou existence doth depend on time?" (from Byron’s Manfred) suggests time’s role in defining existence—a Romantic preoccupation with transience vs. eternity.
Reality vs. Illusion
- Terms like sober reality, hard fact, not a dream contrast existence with illusion or imagination (later explored in Section #2).
- "Ergo sum cogito" (a play on Descartes’ "Cogito, ergo sum") reinforces self-awareness as proof of existence.
Persistence & Continuity
- Verbs like endure, last, remain, abide emphasize duration, while come into existence, arise, become suggest dynamic emergence.
- This reflects evolutionary and geological theories of the 19th century (e.g., Lyell’s Principles of Geology), where existence is process-based.
Essence & Vitality
- Center of life, essence, vital principle evoke vitalism (the belief in a life force), contrasting with mechanistic materialism.
- The scientific vs. spiritual tension is evident—Roget, a man of science, still acknowledges metaphysical dimensions.

Literary Devices:

Parallelism & Antithesis: The structure mirrors binary oppositions (existence/inexistence, reality/dream).
Allusion:
- Byron’s line questions time’s dominance over existence (a Romantic rebellion against Newtonian absolutes).
- Ipso facto (Latin: "by the fact itself") and de facto (Latin: "in fact") lend authoritative weight to existence.
Metaphor:
- "Leave not a rack behind" (from The Tempest) suggests total erasure, foreshadowing "Inexistence."

B. Inexistence (Section #2)

Core Idea:

Inexistence is negation, absence, and cessation, ranging from pure nothingness to destruction and oblivion.

Key Themes & Subthemes:

Absolute Nothingness
- Nonexistence, nil, nullity, nihility suggest pure absence, aligning with philosophical nihilism (the belief in meaninglessness).
- Tabula rasa (Latin: "blank slate") implies potentiality before existence (Lockean empiricism).
Destruction & Annihilation
- Extinction, obliteration, annihilation evoke apocalyptic imagery, reflecting 19th-century anxieties (industrialization, Darwinian extinction, thermodynamic entropy).
- Nirvana (Buddhist liberation from suffering) introduces Eastern concepts of non-being as peace, contrasting with Western fears of void.
Illusion & Unreality
- Shadowy, spectral, visionary, unreal, fabulous suggest existence as deception, a theme in Gothic literature (e.g., Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher).
- In nubibus (Latin: "in the clouds") implies unfounded ideas, critiquing idealism vs. empiricism.
Temporal & Spatial Absence
- Abeyance, absence, departed, gone with the wind emphasize transience, linking to Romantic melancholy (e.g., Keats’ "fading away").
- Defunct (literally "dead") bridges biological death and metaphysical nonexistence.

Literary Devices:

Juxtaposition: "Unborn, uncreated" vs. "annihilated, extinct" shows life cycles.
Irony:
- "Well-grounded" (in Existence) vs. "baseless, vain" (in Inexistence) highlights epistemological uncertainty.
Symbolism:
- Nirvana symbolizes transcendence through nonexistence, while oblivion suggests fear of erasure.
Archaic & Obsolete Terms:
- Nihility[obs3], uncreated[obs3] mark linguistic evolution, reinforcing that even words about nonexistence fade.

3. Literary & Philosophical Connections

Theme	Existence (#1)	Inexistence (#2)	Literary/Philosophical Links
Metaphysics	Ontology, ens, essence	Nullity, nihility, non ens	Plato’s Forms, Heidegger’s Being and Time
Time & Transience	Endure, last, abide	Perish, vanish, gone with the wind	Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18, Shelley’s Ozymandias
Reality vs. Illusion	Sober reality, hard fact	Shadowy, spectral, ideal	Descartes’ Meditations, Borges’ Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius
Life & Death	Vital principle, breathe	Defunct, extinct, annihilated	Darwin’s Origin of Species, Poe’s The Raven
Eastern Thought	–	Nirvana	Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Representation

4. Significance of the Excerpt

A. Linguistic & Cognitive Impact

Roget’s taxonomic approach influenced structural linguistics (Saussure) and cognitive science (how humans categorize concepts).
The existence/inexistence duality reflects binary thinking in computer science (1/0, on/off).

B. Philosophical Implications

The text does not privilege existence over inexistence, presenting them as equally valid states—a radical idea in Western thought, which often fears the void.
The inclusion of Nirvana suggests nonexistence as liberation, challenging Christian and Enlightenment views of existence as inherently good.

C. Literary & Artistic Influence

Modernist writers (Joyce, Woolf) used stream-of-consciousness to explore being vs. non-being.
Existentialist playwrights (Beckett’s Waiting for Godot) dramatize the absurdity of existence.
Postmodernists (Barthes, Foucault) deconstruct language’s role in defining reality, much like Roget’s systematic yet fluid classifications.

5. Close Reading of Key Passages

A. "Thinkest thou existence doth depend on time?" (Byron, #1)*

Source: Byron’s Manfred (1817), a Romantic closet drama about a tormented protagonist questioning fate, time, and existence.
Meaning:
- Challenges Newtonian absolute time by suggesting existence might transcend temporality.
- Reflects Romantic rebellion against Enlightenment rationalism.
Roget’s Use:
- Places existence in dialogue with time, implying it is not static but dynamic.

B. "Leave not a rack behind" (#2)*

Source: Shakespeare’s The Tempest (Prospero’s speech: "We are such stuff / As dreams are made on, and our little life / Is rounded with a sleep").
Meaning:
- Total erasure—no trace remains after death/annihilation.
- Echoes Ozymandias-like impermanence.
Roget’s Use:
- Reinforces inexistence as absolute, contrasting with existence’s persistence.

C. Nirvana (#2)*

Meaning:
- In Buddhism, liberation from the cycle of rebirth (samsara), a state beyond being and non-being.
Roget’s Use:
- Introduces Eastern philosophy into a Western lexical framework, suggesting nonexistence as a positive state.
- Contrasts with Western nihilism, where nonexistence is often fearful or negative.

6. Conclusion: Why This Excerpt Matters

Roget’s classification of Existence and Inexistence is more than a dry lexical list—it is a microcosm of 19th-century intellectual struggles:

Science vs. Metaphysics (empiricism vs. vitalism).
Western vs. Eastern Thought (nihilism vs. Nirvana).
Romanticism vs. Enlightenment (emotion vs. reason).

The excerpt does not resolve these tensions but maps them, showing how language both reflects and shapes our understanding of being and nothingness. In an era of AI, quantum physics, and existential crises, Roget’s taxonomy of existence remains startlingly relevant—a reminder that words are not just tools but portals into deeper questions of reality.

Final Thought:

Roget’s Thesaurus is not just a reference book—it is a philosophical labyrinth, where every word is a thread in the fabric of meaning and absence. This excerpt, in particular, invites us to ask:

Does language create existence, or merely describe it?
Is nonexistence the absence of being, or a different kind of presence?
Can we truly conceive of nothingness without defining it in terms of something?

In the end, Roget’s work does not answer these questions—it equips us to ask them better.

Questions

Question 1

The passage’s juxtaposition of ens rationis (a rational being) in the Existence section with non ens (non-being) in the Inexistence section most strongly implies which of the following philosophical tensions?

A. The conflict between rationalist conceptions of reality and empirical skepticism about the knowability of existence.
B. The distinction between Platonic ideal forms and Aristotelian substance theory.
C. The debate over whether language can adequately represent metaphysical abstractions.
D. The opposition between vitalist theories of life and mechanistic explanations of nature.
E. The paradox of defining nonexistence using terms that presuppose existence.

Question 2

The inclusion of Nirvana in the Inexistence section, alongside terms like annihilation and oblivion, serves primarily to:

A. underscore the cultural relativity of Western metaphysical categories.
B. introduce an alternative framework where nonexistence is not merely absence but a transcendent state.
C. highlight the linguistic limitations of Roget’s thesaurus in capturing Eastern philosophical concepts.
D. contrast the permanence of spiritual liberation with the finality of physical destruction.
E. suggest that all forms of inexistence, whether religious or secular, are fundamentally equivalent.

Question 3

The phrase "thinkest thou existence doth depend on time?" (Byron) is positioned in the Existence section most likely to:

A. reinforce the Enlightenment view of time as an objective, measurable dimension.
B. illustrate the Romantic rejection of temporal constraints on human experience.
C. propose that existence is contingent upon historical and temporal contexts.
D. provoke a meta-question about whether existence is a static category or dynamically constituted.
E. contrast poetic imagination with the empirical observation of reality.

Question 4

The structural parallel between well-founded (Existence) and baseless (Inexistence) in the adjectival lists primarily serves to:

A. demonstrate the symmetry of Roget’s taxonomic approach to opposing concepts.
B. imply that existence and inexistence are equally valid but epistemologically distinct.
C. expose an underlying assumption that value judgments (e.g., "well-founded" as positive) are embedded in language.
D. suggest that inexistence is merely the logical negation of existence.
E. highlight the arbitrary nature of linguistic classifications.

Question 5

The use of obsolete or archaic terms (e.g., nihility[obs3], uncreated[obs3]) in the Inexistence section most plausibly reflects which of the following ideas?

A. The historical evolution of language renders discussions of nonexistence inherently unstable.
B. Inexistence is a concept that resists precise or enduring linguistic representation.
C. Roget’s thesaurus is primarily a historical artifact rather than a living lexical resource.
D. The decline of certain words mirrors the cultural decline of metaphysical inquiry.
E. Obsolete terms are more effective at conveying abstract or negative states.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: A

Why A is most correct: The pairing of ens rationis (a being of reason, implying a rationalist foundation for existence) with non ens (non-being) frames a tension between rationalist claims about knowable reality (e.g., Descartes’ cogito) and empirical skepticism (e.g., Hume’s critiques of causality). The passage does not resolve whether existence is rationally self-evident or empirically contingent, making this the most defensible interpretation of the philosophical stakes.