istnienia

Istnienie, in Polish meaning existence, is the state or fact of being real or present. In everyday language it denotes that something exists. In philosophy, istnienie is distinguished from bycie (being in a general sense) and istota (essence). The noun derives from the verb istnieć, to exist, and is common in both historical and contemporary discussion.

In metaphysics, istnienie concerns whether something has real existence as opposed to being fictional, possible, or merely conceptual. Philosophers distinguish contingent existence, which could be otherwise, from necessary existence, which cannot be otherwise. The question of whether existence is a predicate—something added to a thing—or a mode of truth has been central from Aristotle through Kant and beyond. Some approaches treat existence as an attribute of essences, others regard it as a fundamental aspect of reality that does not add properties to a thing.

Polish philosophy has engaged with these issues through figures such as Roman Ingarden, who explored ontology and the status of objects in experience, and Tadeusz Kotarbiński, who emphasized clear, economical ontology. Existentialist themes—such as human existence, freedom, and responsibility—also intersect with discussions of istnienie in the broader European context.

Beyond philosophy, istnienie is used in theology, science, and everyday language to discuss the real presence of entities, from physical objects to abstract concepts, and to distinguish real entities from imaginary or hypothetical constructs.

See also: ontology, existence, being, essence, contingent existence.