Things That Exist Without Being Real

An entity is not just a physical object you can touch. In philosophy, abstract concepts and even legal fictions are considered entities because they exist as distinct, identifiable things in our minds.

You might think of entities as purely material, but the term actually covers anything that exists as itself. This includes intangible ideas, imaginary characters, or even corporations that function as legal persons. We often entitize these concepts, which means our brains treat them as tangible beings even when they lack a body. Understanding this helps explain why we can feel a real connection to fictional stories or complex social systems.