Lotze on Existence

The aim of this talk is to provide a historical-critical reconstruction of the forgiven polemics, which opposed R. H. Lotze to Kant’s concept of “absolute positing” and to its variation by Herbart. With regard to the metaphysical concept of “existence” as “actuality” (which must notably be distinguished from the logical analysis of “exists” as “objectivity”, viz. as second-level predicate), this reconstruction suggests that Lotze could be considered as the “missing link” between the Kantian and the Fregean paradigm: it allows us to understand the passage from existence as being “absolutely posited” to existence as being a “part” of the so-called “world-furniture”