Abstract

Roman Ingarden’s account of the controversy realism-idealism consists in taking both Husserl’s transcendental idealism and a realistic standpoint as examples of the so-called creationism. The difference between them is that idealistic creation produces a purely intentional object, while realistic creation produces a real object endowed with an autonomous mode of existence. Such an approach toward the controversy assumes some sort of affinity between the creation of real and purely intentional objects. It has some historical background in the Judeo-Christian idea of creatio ex nihilo. But in examining the ontological structure of a real object and in trying to grasp how does it come into existence, it becomes evident that in the case of creation of purely intentional objects the analogy with creatio ex nihilo is misplaced. On the other hand, the idea of creatio ex nihilo of a real object seems to transcend our understanding. Key words CREATIONISM, REALISM, IDEALISM