The way of being
(bare edition)

Anil Mitra, Copyright © August 24, 2021, rev February 11, 2022

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Contents
the narrative | development | plan and execution

preview

introduction >> the aim of the way > our world > being > reasons > laws > universe >> the greatest universe > the fundamental principle of metaphysics > cosmology of limitless identity > pathways > the real metaphysics >> the way

about the way

aim of the way >> this division >> origins > destinations > meaning >> this edition—‘bare content’* >> the ‘very bare content edition’ >> development

being

being and beings > being, foundations, and grounding > concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science > kinds and varieties of being > possibility and laws of nature > reasons > the universe and the void >> introduction to the fundamental principle of metaphysics > existence of the void > the fundamental principle > consistency of the principle >> the ultimate

metaphysics

introduction >> metaphysics > the real metaphysics > consistency of the real metaphysics > doubt and attitude >> experience and significant meaning > universe as field of being >> dimensions of being > metaphysics, cosmology, and physics > about religion >> the range of metaphysical thought*

cosmology*

the concept of cosmology >> general cosmology > cosmology of form > kinds of ‘cosmos’ > our cosmos >> dimensions of being

reason

introduction >> the meaning of reason > developing reason for the way > what the foundation in reason says >> on reason and meaning* > reason in general*

pathways

aim of being > paths > ways >> introduction to the path templates > design of the templates > every-day template > dedication > affirmation > universal template > the instrumental vs the intrinsic >> return to the world

resources

concepts >> concepts—details* >> resources > resource system >> resource system—details* >> general resources >> general resources—details* >> knowledge resources >> knowledge resources—detail* >> developing and executing the way* > development of the way as a resource* > reference*

the concepts

preview > about the way > being > metaphysics > cosmology* > reason > pathways > resources

The way of being

preview

in the preview, dark font shows a summary or key statement

introduction

the preview is a rapid overview of the way; the whole view is the narrative, p. 3

quick view

the universe is shown to be limitless; therefore, all beings realize its power; the process of realization begins in the immediate, is given for all beings, though not in any particular life; thus, it is imperative to follow a path to the ultimate; while paths are developed in ‘the way’, to be on a path is not just to follow, but share in the intelligent development of paths and negotiation of the way

core material

the core of preliminary understanding is the aim of the way, p. 4; a quick assessment of our world, p. 4, in terms of the aim; the cosmology of limitless identity, p. 7, which describes what will be achieved; pathways, p. 7, which is about the practical ‘how’ of achievement; and the way, p. 8, which is the essence of the process

the remain sections of the preview, elaborate and deepen preliminary understanding and are essential to effective realization of the aim of the way

foundation

the foundation is in the sections being, p. 5, through universe, p. 6

principles

the essential conclusion from the foundation, the fundamental principle of metaphysics, p. 7, is demonstrated in the greatest universe, p. 6; though the demonstration may be omitted on superficial reading, it is included because it is essential to deep understanding of the way

the fundamental principle is abstract—it shows what will be achieved, but not how; the real metaphysics, p. 8, which provides the how of achievement, is a pragmatic enhancement of the fundamental principle, enhanced by synthesis with concrete knowledge

concepts

ultimate achievement, dogma, secularism, transsecularism, a being (plural: beings), being, a reason (plural: reasons, related to but distinct from ‘reason’), kind of reason (necessary, logic, argument, unconditional, independent, null, absolute), law, universe, the void, creator, existence, fundamental principle of metaphysics, identity, peak being, the individual, death (is real but not absolute), pleasure, pain, enjoyment, path to the ultimate, therapy, imperative, sharing, experience (in the sense of awareness), meditation, the body, material world, science, the sciences—concrete and abstract, technology, the arts, the humanities, yoga

the aim of the way

the aim of the way is shared discovery and realization of the ultimate in and from the immediate

our world

what is our feasible and ultimate achievement? two common dogmas and their opposition limit our views and progress—(i) that experiential or scientific secularism reveals the universe (ii) religious and other transsecular dogmas

what is the way forward?

being

a being is that which can have a direct or indirect effect on awareness; being is the characteristic of beings

if a being is defined with limited concrete detail (i.e., abstraction), it may be known perfectly; other beings are known pragmatically (usefully)

reasons

a reason is a cause in the most general sense; if what is caused is certain the reason is called necessary; if a state holds unconditionally, it is necessary with the null reason or, in other words, without a reason

if, given A, then B obtains with some degree of certainty, then A is called a reason for B; B is a state of being; A is more general and may be an argument; thus, reasons are not restricted to physical or temporal causes; the state B, is more general than ‘effect’ and need not follow A in time; if the outcome is certain, the reason is necessary; if the reason is another being or state of being, the reason is ‘real’, e.g., physical; but if A is conceptual, e.g., an argument that is independent of the state or nature of the universe; a conceptual reason that is necessary is logical

note—an argument is establishment of a conclusion by (i) establishing a premise or ‘base fact’ (ii) inferring the conclusion from the premise (if the inference is necessary, e.g., deductively correct, the argument is called ‘valid’ and if, in addition, the premise is true, the argument is called ‘sound’)

if existence of a being or a state of being is unconditional (i.e., if there are no circumstances in which it does not obtain), it is necessary; and its necessity must be dependent on another or not dependent; if independent, the reason would be a ‘self’ reason, with or without content; in the latter case it may be called null; can a reason be null and necessary (an absolute reason)? though it might seem absurd, it is not—as will be seen in the greatest universe, p. 6

laws

a law is a reading of a pattern (e.g., in our cosmos); the term ‘law’ will refer to the pattern; laws are immanent in the being, e.g., of the cosmos, and therefore have being—i.e., laws are beings

universe

the universe is all being; the void is the being that contains no beings

the creator of a being is another being that causes its being (existence); for the universe, there is no other being—therefore the universe has no creator

the greatest universe

in this section, it is shown that every possible state must obtain somewhere and when in the universe

the proof below shows that a reason may be absolute (necessary and null); it may be conceptually difficult; if readers are not interested in the proof, it may be passed over to the conclusion, the fundamental principle, p. 7, (the main narrative has alternate proofs, heuristics, and discussion of doubt) and attitudes to the fundamental principle

if the universe is eternal, its existence is unconditional and so necessary with the null reason; by symmetry, therefore, every possible being exists somewhere and when in the universe; and the possibility must be the least restrictive or greatest possibility; since possibility inherent in things is contingent, the possibility must be logical

on the other hand, if the (manifest) universe is not eternal, it must enter the void state, then every possible being must emerge from the void—for the contrary would be a law of the void; and, again, every possible being must exist somewhere in the universe

the fundamental principle of metaphysics

the universe is the greatest possible (this statement is called the fundamental principle of metaphysics); that is, every possible state obtains somewhere and when in the universe

therefore, the universe phases between the void and the manifest; as it is derived from perfect (abstract) and necessary ideas, the principle is perfectly known

cosmology of limitless identity

the universe, which has identity, is limitless; all beings realize this ultimate

in elaboration—the universe has identity; the universe and its identity are limitless in variety, extension, and peak of being (which includes any gods, but requires that the concept of ‘god’ must be very different from most of our conceptions); every peak has a dissolution; yet the void has recollection of identities; there are arrays of cosmoses limitless in magnitude, number, arrangement, and kind of physical law; all beings—individuals—inherit the power of the universe for the contrary would be a limit on the universe (that two beings inherit the power of the universe is not a contradiction, for if the peak is local, the inheritance need not be at the same time; and if the peak is absolute, the beings merge as they inherit the power); and death is real but not absolute

pathways

if enjoyment is a value, it is imperative to be on an intelligent path to the ultimate

pleasure and pain are unavoidable; enjoyment is the appreciation of pleasure and pain; there are intelligent paths to the ultimate—paths in which enjoyment is optimized and which begin in the immediate world; pain is not to be avoided—its best resolution is a combination of therapy and being on a path, pleasure is good when it is pleasure in being on the way, i.e., not merely for its own sake; to be on a path is desirable (‘imperative’) to the degree that enjoyment is a value; to be on a path is not to avoid this world—paths begin in the world; to be on a path is not merely to follow but to share in understanding, and pathways, and their development

the real metaphysics

the fundamental principle, p. 7, shows what is possible but not how to achieve it; the ‘how’ is presented in the main narrative (i) in terms of a real metaphysics, p. 27, that is a join of perfect and pragmatic knowledge that is perfect relative to values revealed by the perfect and (ii) pathways, p. 46, to the ultimate and path templates, p. 49

the way

the core of the way subsumes what is valid in human culture, seen in light of the fundamental principle, which, in turn, is subsumed under an enhanced concept of yoga

in the way, ‘experience’ will refer to awareness in all its forms (readers who have questions about experience in this sense are referred to experience and significant meaning, p. 29)

where the paradigm of materialism holds sway, experience is often thought of as having lesser importance and a lower grade of the real—or even not real at all

however, experience will be seen as ultimately real, as the place of all significance (though of course not of all that is significant), the place of all language and concept meaning—and of knowledge; experience will be found to be the place of our being and of the real

thus, meditation is essential in the process and place of realization; this, however, does not minimize the role of our bodies or the ‘material world’, for they are real places in experience; therefore, effective meditation requires attention to the body and various aspects of the material and the secular world, e.g., science, the concrete sciences—natural, social (such as politics and economics), and ‘applied’—and technology, the abstract sciences (which include mathematics), the arts (including literature), and the humanities (which include philosophy, history, and true religion and its understanding); all this may be subsumed under an enhanced concept of yoga

about the way

to know and realize the real

aim of the way

concepts

aim of the way

content

the aim of the way is shared discovery and realization of the ultimate in and from the immediate; the aim of the way is shown to be aim of being, p. 47

the way is intended as a contribution to understanding of and living in the world; it builds on historical sources, but is not a compendium or representation of them; it is not intended as a textbook

this division

an informal division—‘prologue’; formal discussion is in divisions being, p. 13, through pathways, p. 44, (pathways > section return to the world, p. 52, is also informal)

origins

concepts

origins, significant meaning (‘meaning of life’), becoming; sources—ideas and action—history and individual experience

content

origins of the way are in pursuit of significant meaning (roughly, the ‘meaning of life’) and becoming in the immediate and beyond; in finding order amid chaos, permanence amid transience; the aim of the way is the aim of being, p. 47; sources of the way are in ideas and action—their history and individual experience, see resources, p. 53

destinations

concepts

destinations, the ultimate, the present or the immediate, the real metaphysics

content

what is our destination? it is found that while we approach and arrive at the ultimate in some ways, we remain in the present or immediate—this is both good and true; in approaching the ultimate, the paradigm of the way, named the real metaphysics, p. 27, goes beyond common received paradigms—it shows the nature of the ultimate and that it is achieved; this and that it may take effort to bridge the paradigm gap will aid understanding the work

meaning

‘meaning’ will be used in two senses—(i) ‘significant meaning’, p. 29, and (ii) word and concept meaning, p. 16; in this section, meaning has the latter sense

concepts

consensus experience, concept meaning (‘linguistic’)

content

this is a preliminary discussion—for more, see concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science, p. 16; in approaching the ultimate, the way moves beyond received or consensus experience in an essential way, and so word and concept meanings (aspects of linguistic meaning) must change; therefore, attention should be paid to the meanings given here; but what of received meanings? naturally, to be recognizable, new meanings have continuity though not identity with the old

understanding the text*

while attending to given meanings, it will be useful to temporarily suspend received meanings and to note but not be upheld by criticism, which may then be taken up as intuition of the paradigm of the text is built; subsequently, received meanings may enrich understanding of the world seen through the lens of the new paradigm

concepts are treated at more than one level*

pre and post metaphysics—aim and destiny, foundations, being—what objects and kinds have being, experience (its interpretations and dimensions), logic (process vs theory of the universe, a logic as the theory of a mode of expression, logic as covering the logics and the sciences—abstract and concrete), reason, free will

levels of detail and sophistication—minimal (field manual, common reader), significant (academic, agent)

perfect vs pragmatic

final vs tentative

this edition—‘bare content’*

the document is a skeletal framework for the way and a source for other versions—(i) a final long version of essentials and elaborations and (ii) a ‘very bare content’ edition

sections marked with a star* and their starred or unstarred subsections are not for inclusion in the brief, very bare content.html, version; such sections are at various stages of development

the ‘very bare content edition’

making the very bare edition*

all the content for this edition is unstarred at all levels; when making the very bare edition from the bare edition (i) eliminate all starred sections (ii) eliminate subtitles ‘concepts’ and ‘content’; place concepts in the final concepts division

concepts

imagination, originality, foundation, self-foundation, axiomatic approach, informal vs formal development, application, introduction, preview, principles of organization, flow of ideas, motive, explanation

content

initial development is informal, imaginative, and, in building on and going beyond sources, it aims at originality; as far as possible, the work would be self-founding; for this an exclusively axiomatic approach is inadvisable—foundation may best occur after significant informal and semi-formal development but before formal development and application; foundation is found in reason, p. 35; for rigor, origins, ground in history (in this edition, treatment of a number of pertinent problems of thought, particularly of philosophy, by incorporation or resolution, is implicit), elaboration, application, and consequences, follow resources, p. 53

this edition has no further introduction or preview; its main principles of organization and flow of ideas are not external to the work and its development, but, rather, are inherent in it; they are informal (development of the metaphysics from its intuitive origins to the formal outcome so far, which is reflected in this division, about the way, beginning above, p. 3; and the arrangement of the text, reflected in the contents, p. 1) and formal (metaphysics, p. 26, particularly the real metaphysics, p. 27; and reason, p. 35); there is some motive and explanation above, but since motive may be slanting, the main motivation is the development, especially in the fundamental principle, p. 22, through metaphysics, p. 26; see resources, p. 53, for explicit introductory and explanatory material

development

introduction*

most of the material in this section is temporary; also use plan.html; when what remains is permanent, then, since the way should not refer beyond itself, the material may be placed in one of the divisions, pathways, p. 46, through resources, p. 54

concepts

no concepts introduced

before “in-the-world”*

Do essentials; move rest to “in the world”

Main statements; perhaps for use in mini; perhaps only for preview

Revise

Format the secondary material in an effective and consistent manner

redo the concepts division, using the concepts sections in the main narrative as source

in-the-world, i.e., the field

streamline the material; add missing material from resource documents—see plan

New words—res for ‘being’, a res for ‘a being’, logical causes for reasons, entire for ‘universe’, the absence for the void… select a list of main concepts for which to do this

being

to be real

being and beings

concepts

being (the verb to be), a being (plural—‘beings’), characteristic

content

being is existence—the quality of that which is validly described by combinations of possible forms of the verb to be; a being is that which has being (noun, plural—‘beings’); knowledge is implicit in the concept of being—an improved an improved characterization is given in experience and significant meaning, p. 29

the definition of being, implies that there is being, for if there were not, these deliberations, even if illusory, would not be; and, since knowledge of being, even if illusory, requires distinctions, there are beings

being—neutrality and criticism*

neutrality of the concept of being

the neutrality is manifest in the definition and is essential to its use below; it is neutral to kinds and varieties of being, p. 17; the concept of being will be developed as neutral even to manifestation vs non-manifestation

criticism of the concept of being

it has been criticized as being trivial, not even a concept; however, it is the trivial concept that makes no distinction; and this, as will be seen, is essential to its power

the problem of negative existentials—“if an object does not exist, what is it that does not exist?”—is trivially resolved by analysis of meaning, p. 16, for a being is specified by the concept, and “the being does not exist” is strictly senseless but can be given the meaning “the concept of the being has no referent

being, foundations, and grounding

concepts

foundation, grounding, anthropomorphism, cosmomorphism

content

this raises concerns (i) significance of ‘being’, especially for foundation and grounding of the individual in the world for foundation, see reason, p. 35 (it is essential that our intelligence, p. 47, and experientiality, p. 29, are means of discovery of being and that they are important examples of being; to not do so would be, roughly, a narrowness of perspective that would lead to an erroneous materialism, p. 31; however our kind and knowledge of being should not be mistaken as templates for all being, for this would be the errors of anthropomorphism and ‘cosmomorphism’, i.e., universe in the image of man or of our empirical cosmos) (ii) what existence is (‘what it is’ means ‘what it is in terms of another category such as mind or matter’ which is found unnecessary for being sufficient for foundation and grounding, while foundation in terms of mind or matter, would be confusing as they are incompletely known), (iii) whether existence and being are identical (though existence is sometimes thought of as ‘being in relation’, being itself is essentially relational; thus existence and being are identical and it is not necessary to introduce existence as a distinct concept) (iv) whether existence and being are elusive (they are elusive when seen as detached from knowing beings—but we find that such detached foundation, though appealing as objective, is impossible and unnecessary); for such considerations for all concepts of the narrative, follow the resources, p. 53

on foundations*

foundationalism

a basis for truth of assertions

why foundation

of assertions, we want to know their truth and, therefore of reasons for truth

assertions may be ‘single’ facts and theories

of things and values, we want to know their ‘kind’ and reasons, and whether things and values are distinct

of our own being, we want to know its nature, place in the world—the scheme of things, its significant meaning, and potency for becoming

the how of foundations

an assertion is known true (a) directly (‘understanding’) (b) inferentially (‘reason’) and therefore (at least seemingly) depends on some statement known true

foundations—classification

neutral

regress

pragmatism

transience

cartesian skepticism

coherentism

negative

anti-foundationalism

pyrrhonian skepticism

positive

substance

what (positive)

‘depth’

pro, con

alternatives

being

the foundational character of being is that, unlike substance, it is not a posit; it is the unknown of a metaphysical algebra; and the power, then, is it allows and levers unfolding of metaphysics as study of the real and, further, since being is ‘that which is’, as study of the immediate and the ultimate

being is optimally foundational relative to metaphysics, epistemology, values, and existenz; in plain terms—

being is the best foundation for the real, for knowledge, for values, and for being authentic

on substance

substance theory is rejected, but taken up as an aid to analysis of the place of experience in the world; as it was earlier taken up to showing being as truly fundamental

a substance is a particular that exists independently of other beings

thus, substances may found the existence of all beings on ontologically independent beings

and if the behavior of all substances can be described and known, so can that of all beings (in principle)—i.e., substance would be epistemically founding

in this role, substances are (i) unchanging, for if changing indeterministically, they are not epistemically founding, and otherwise they are reducible to the unchanging (ii) describable (simply) in their being and changes (iii) non-interacting, for if interacting and describable they are reducible to one substance (iii) but one in number

if ontological independence includes causal independence, only self-caused entities like Spinoza’s God can be substances; though this can be gotten around (the void is self-caused), it is an unnecessary sophistication—and from its complexity and power, Spinoza’s God is unfounded, as are all substances

shortfalls of substance are (i) a substance is a posit (ii) a substance is inadequate to variety and, most definitely, to possibilism (iii) in the dualist case, substances do not interact

dualist foundation is incoherent; substance foundation must be monist

a strict material cosmos is one in which matter is the only substance and experience (‘mind’) is no part of matter

therefore, our cosmos cannot be a strictly material cosmos; it is at least approximately substance, but the substance must be experiential—and as experiential to have form and change which is experienced as ‘material’; but this is no foundation because as a strict monist world there is no explanation of its being

a possibilist cosmos is one in which the greatest possibility is realized

in a possibilist cosmos, experientiality may reach down to the root

it is later seen that the universe is possibilist

being is experiential-relational, where the experientiality down to the root is of the same kind as conscious awareness but of lower degree; and also extends up to the greatest being (whether an actual being or an open hierarchy)

how is being itself known

from the concept, to be being it must be knowable; and the known beings are beings; but the question of ‘how’ remains

ontology

defines the study

the study of being

note—much of the development above and below is ontology

relation to metaphysics—

metaphysics is study of the real as it is (pragmatic metaphysics may be admitted) and includes the question of the nature of the real (admitting that in that there is nothing more real than the real, there may be no ‘nature’ of it, beyond that which is known to be known—perfectly or pragmatically)

ontology, a branch of metaphysics, deals with being—what it is, its nature, its characteristics, its Form (form-formation) …

abstraction

to abstract is to delete some details from a concept

either to focus on the essential or to leave only the undistorted or ‘perfect’

thus, objects may be labeled ‘abstract’ or ‘concrete’, but lie on a continuum—are not fundamentally or ‘metaphysically’ distinct; thus ‘abstract’ means neither ‘abstruse’ nor ‘remote’—but is most real and most immediate

the abstract is often defined via free, especially linguistic, concepts (‘concepts’) and the concrete by bound concepts (‘percepts’), which renders the abstract suitable for correspondence perfection and the concrete inclined to pragmatic sufficiency

later we develop a join of the perfect and the pragmatic in a real metaphysics that is perfect in a way that will be defined

the abstract inhabits the concrete; the concrete populates the abstract

abstraction enables perfect knowledge, e.g.—

“there is being”; and—

abstracts

this shows the power of the concept of being

pragmatics

if a concept pragmatically identifies an object

characteristics of being

the characteristics specify what the referent, in this case of ‘being’, is

existence, be-ing

defining, but not another concept—ostensive, because fundamental

real

removes ‘mystery’ regarding what is real—given that something has being, there is no further question of its reality (e.g., is it material, is it transcendent…)

… but does not remove the experience of the real as mystery

there is of course the question of how being-hood is determined, and this is taken up in considering experience, below

experientiality

a general characteristic in that being is essentially experiential; the meaning and truth of this assertion are treated beginning with the section on experience below

a hierarchy of experiential being is described in the section on kinds and varieties below

interaction

power

power is the capacity for interaction—i.e., to enter into cause and effect, including self-cause and self-effect

the being that has no power at all does not exist

a being that has no power, direct or secondary, on a knower, cannot be known by the knower

the following employs the meaning of experience given later—a being that has no direct or secondary effect on a knower’s experience, cannot be known by the knower

power is a measure of being

a generalization of the concept of power is that of a reason (distinct from reason)

a need for this generalization is the fact that it is conceivable that there are states of being that have reasons for their being that are not ‘material beings’

just above ‘may be’ ought to have been used instead of ‘are’, but we will later justify use of ‘are’

power and experience

experience is interaction, seems to be but a case of interaction, but interaction will be found to be essentially experiential

reasons

a reason is that which has entailment in the world; power is a case of reasons

state

a set of characteristics (properties) in terms of which a being is partially or fully known

form

the knowable characteristics of a being

all beings have extensional form—which entails spatiality, i.e., which specifies spatiality rather than fitting an otherwise conceived notion of spatiality

exception—the void or absence of manifest being

similarly, if the ‘material’ is to have an ontological meaning, it ought not to be sought in the ‘physical’; rather it ought to be sought in form—e.g., occupying space, or having power (see below)

non-durational, changeless, or static form is conceivable, therefore logically possible; later we will see that the logically possible is realized, therefore there are static cosmoses, which are of limited significance and cannot support sentient beings

while change is not entailed by form alone, it will be seen to be entailed by experience; and change is an aspect of formation which is entailed by the fundamental principle of metaphysics, demonstrated later

formation may be seen as an aspect of form; it entails temporality

there is no third form related characteristic beyond form and formation—i.e., no third kind of coordinate beyond space and time (but a world with two measures of time is not logically impossible), abstract or concrete, except, perhaps, the absence of form and formation

sometimes ‘form’ will refer only to extensional or spatial form; thus, we could write Form, which has aspects of form and formation

becoming

becoming, e.g., origins and change, where there are any, entails duration—immanent temporality

thus, being includes becoming, action, relation…

non-characteristics of being

I.e., characteristics as sometimes conceived but not as conceived here

“what being is not”—some other uses of ‘being’

being does not refer specifically to the special—e.g., ‘higher’, ‘spiritual’ – or ‘material’, ‘essential’, ‘independent be-ing’, ‘human’, ‘sentient’…

includes these modes, as far as real—i.e., though being is neutral to these non-characteristics they may lie within or constitute sub-divisions within being

concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science

concepts

referential concept, icon, sign (simple or compound), language, symbol (linguistic), meaning, knowledge, necessity, contingency, fact, science, art, value

content

if what a referential concept refers to is in the world (for example, effective in its change which includes maintaining the world as it is), what it refers to is a being

let us consider conditions for a concept to refer; an iconic (picture like)-concept-with-associated-simple-or-compound-sign (e.g., linguistic, i.e., in terms of language), constitute a symbol or concept-symbol; the symbol and its possible referents—existents—constitute meaning (“of the sign, symbol, or concept”); note that even in the known, there is no fixity of meaning—in moving into the unknown, meaning must ‘grow’ (and as noted by A.N. Whitehead, precision and fixity are possible only on the basis of a definite metaphysics) and that here we are not concerned with the issue of precision which is take up and resolved later in the real metaphysics, p. 27, (whose system of meaning and knowledge was arrived at by trial and error—and then shown to be perfect; as noted earlier, to follow the narrative, it is essential to follow meanings as stated)

we continue to consider conditions for a concept to refer; meaning realized is knowledge; a concept may fail to refer (i) when its structure does not permit reference at all—rules for form of structures that do not inherently rule out reference constitute logic and the absence of reference is necessary, (ii) when reference is possible but it does not refer and the absence of reference is contingent, i.e., on account of the structure or the world, the constraints on reference are factual, i.e., science; thus logic and science constitute knowledge (this does not imply that our logics and sciences and their methods and methodologies are proper logics or sciences or that they are the only logics or sciences—e.g., under these conceptions, it will be found that art and value fall under knowledge); thus the central concern with reason includes concern with art, feeling or emotion, and value; this discussion is revisited and repeated later in what the foundation in reason says, p. 43

kinds and varieties of being

concepts

kind, correspondence (this concept and the next concern the nature and criterion for validity of knowledge), pragmatic

content

in contrast to the use of some thinkers, here ‘being’ is neutral to the richness and depth of being-in-the-world; as noted, this is its conceptual strength; here, kinds and varieties of being are container for depth and richness

the following is a list of examples and kinds of beings (as far as not illusory), which may be passed over on casual reading; development of kinds and varieties continues beyond this section

reasons—see below, p. 19, power, p. 20; sentient or experiential beings, p. 29; facts (including fact of existence or being), states of affairs or being, events, objects, processes, interactions (i.e. cases of power; relations); laws (and patterns as defined below)—i.e., laws of nature; abstractions from beings, p. 41—i.e., by removal of aspects of the concept, being itself, objects anywhere on a concrete-abstract continua, beings known perfectly or pragmatically (tentatively conceive perfect knowledge as the case when the concept is faithful to the object, which is roughly, a correspondence criterion, and pragmatic knowledge as good enough for purposes at hand; these notions will later be improved upon); ideas, concepts including linguistic concepts, signs, letters of alphabets, parts of speech, clauses, sentences and other linguistic constructs, universals (e.g., redness, which is universal to all red existents), particulars (e.g., a red ball), tropes (e.g., the redness of a red ball); beings as defined in the universe and the void, p. 20—the universe, creators, the void, and a cosmos

enumerating beings and kinds of being*

principles of validity

if knowledge is not illusory, it specifies a being

following Cartesian methodology, some knowledge is shown to be ‘real’

once the real metaphysics, p. 27, is shown, its entire knowledge system is seen to be valid—i.e., perfect in the sense to be specified there

principles of enumeration

other sites: (i) Mereology (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) (ii) Mereology - Wikipedia

briefly, the development of the metaphysics itself; beings vs kinds; build-up from sameness, difference, identity to a cosmos and the universe; abstract-concrete continuum, and form (as form and formation); part, whole, and null; power and reasons; experiential beings—intelligent, feeling, agents (free will), to gods (remote vs immanent, separate vs immersive, to Brahman) and creators (the universe has no material creator); actual vs possible

possible being

the reality status of ‘possible being’ and examples of possible beings are discussed below

greatest conceivable (logical)

real (natural, experiential, universal)

possibility and laws of nature

concepts

possible being, pattern, law of nature, law, cosmos, necessary logic, logical possibility

content

a possible being is one whose concept alone does not rule out its existence; as in the ultimate, p. 25—peak being(s), individuals; a necessary being is one whose concept alone requires existence (since existence of manifest being does not seem intrinsically necessary, it would seem that there are no necessary beings; however, we will find in the fundamental principle, p. 22 that there are necessary beings)

a pattern for a being obtains when the data to specify the being is less than the raw data

a law of nature or just law is a pattern that is identified as important, e.g., for a cosmos (an informal concept—defined, e.g., by coherent form and characterized by a system of laws of nature)

a law does not rule out existence of a possible being, for the being could exist in another cosmos

in repetition of an earlier assertion—that which rules out possibility altogether is named necessary or deductive logic

as defined above, possibility is logical possibility; it is the greatest or least restrictive real possibility

reasons

concepts

explanation (general), a reason (noun, plural—‘reasons’), logical reasons, possibility, probability, explanation (explanatory reason), necessity, material reasons, power, material cause, self-cause

content

a cause is commonly thought of as something that results in something else; yet, when we read cause-effect, it is done on the basis of analogy (human effort), correlation, or underlying theory (e.g., scientific, which always has an element of hypothesis); it lacks validity to entirely eliminate observation or interpretation as a variable in the fact or nature of causation; however, we can subsume cause and interpretation of the world as having causality under the idea of explanation, especially explanatory mechanism

a reason is an explanation

examples of reasons—reasons for existence of a being, e.g., or any of the examples of beings above

categorizations of reason include (i) logical, recognized in thought but of the real—possible, likely (probable as well as explanatory), and necessary (ii) material, recognized as of the world—power—i.e., material cause (and effect), also called effective cause or just cause, including self-cause (the concept or a reason generalizes that of power)

the universe and the void

concepts

universe, creator, the void

content

the universe is all being

the definition of the universe requires its existence (given that there is being)

a creator for a being is the effective cause of its existence

the universe cannot have a creator but may have a reason for its existence—and since it is clearly possible and probable, the only reason worth consideration is a necessary reason

the void is the absence of being

the definition of the void does not entail its existence

introduction to the fundamental principle of metaphysics

concepts

no concepts introduced

content

the fundamental principle is the central result that shows (i) the universe to be the realization of the greatest possibility and (ii) so to be greater than in the standard secular-scientific and transsecular views; the principle is a consequence of existence of the void, which is now shown; the abbreviation FP will be used for the principle

existence of the void

concepts

determinism, indeterminism

content

though ‘metaphysics’ has not yet been defined, the foregoing development beginning with being, p. 13, is part of the metaphysics of the narrative; the material so far has been metaphysically self-evident; the demonstration of existence of the void is, however, an ontological argument (i.e., it derives from the nature of being), regarding which issues are raised and addressed below and in doubt and attitude, p. 28

given a being, the void is there with the being, therefore the void exists; heuristically, the existence and non-existence of the void are equivalent; also heuristically, since the void joined to a being is the being, the void is there with all beings

the void contains no beings; particularly, it contains no laws; therefore—

if from the void, there is a possible being that does not emerge, that would be a law of nature

all possible beings emerge from the void; this entails that the universe and its parts are mixes of determinism (a part, often but not necessarily a temporal slice, determines the whole) and indeterminism

the fundamental principle

concepts

the fundamental principle of metaphysics, the principle of plenitude, manifestation

content

the universe is the realization of (the greatest) possibility (i.e., of logical possibility)

since proof of existence of the void was ontological, therefore the proof of the fundamental principle is also ontological

because there will be doubt about these proofs, an alternate proof and supporting heuristics are presented here; later, we present doubt and alternative attitudes, p. 28, to the fundamental principle and its consequences

that the universe is the realization of the greatest possibility is named the fundamental principle of metaphysics (abbreviated fp); this idea appears in the history of thought under the name, e.g., the principle of plenitude; what is new here is the proof and development of the meaning and application of the principle

equivalently, the universe is limitless; which refers to more than limitlessness in space and time, but also to kinds of extension (e.g., space and time), and ‘things’—i.e., if a being is possible, i.e., if its concept does not violate logic, the being exists in the universe at least once (and as many times and places as not ruled out by possibility)

the manifest existence of the universe is necessary; the universe necessarily phases between manifest and void being

alternate proofs and heuristics for the fundamental principle*

alternate proof (i)—whatever is unconditional (e.g., eternal), is necessary; and if the being—manifestation—of the universe is necessary given that there is, it must be so for the null reason the unconditional and necessary are the same (the unconditional non-occurrence and the impossible are the same); if unconditional non-manifestation of the universe were possible, it would be actual; but that is contradicted by the manifest manifestation; so, the universe is necessarily manifest at least once; but by symmetry of unconditional necessity, if one possibility occurs, all possibilities must occur (this is in fact also an ontological proof); this can be stated simply; now, since all states are possible, exclusive being in any limited state is impossible; hence the realization of the greatest possibility; though in the form of proof, just as for the first ontological proof above, there ought to be doubt; an improved form of this proof follows

alternate proof (ii)—that which is unconditional (e.g., eternal), is necessary; if the existence of the universe is unconditional, the necessary reason must be the null reason, for there is nothing outside or beyond the universe; now consider the premise: the universe never enters the void state; it follows that the manifest being of the universe is necessary; which must be a null reason; and, by symmetry of the null reason, the universe must visit every (logically) possible state; which includes the void state—which is a contradiction (of the premise) and therefore the premise is not true; i.e., the universe does enter the void state; and now the fundamental principle follows without assumption of existence of the void; this, too, is ontological, but doubt, if not eliminated is significantly lessened (but remains regarding the unconditional being necessary, the null-ness of the reason for the being of the universe, and the symmetry of the null reason)

alternate proof (iii)—a variation on proof ii, which is currently presented in the preview—the universe is (a) eternal or (b) enters a void state; if (a) eternal, its existence is unconditional, therefore necessary with the null reason, i.e., absolute as defined in the preview; from symmetry of that reason, every possible state must be realized; if (b) it enters the void state, the main proof earlier counts as showing the fundamental principle; since (a) and (b) are exhaustive, the principle is proved; note that if every possible state is realized, the void is realized, which may seem to contradict the assumption that the universe is eternal but does not since the void exists

heuristic argument (i)—the heuristics in existence of the void, p. 21

heuristic argument (ii)—since the picture of the known part of the universe (the cosmos) is empirical (data and their induced patterns or theories), that all logical possibilities are realized somewhere and when in the universe is consistent with reason; the magnitude of this possibility space is immense and it is therefore immensely unlikely, i.e., the probability is negligible, that the universe is not endlessly greater (in terms of realized states) than the cosmos; of course, this is heuristic because the ‘possibility set’ is not known to be an actual set

heuristic argument (iii)—consider the next fundamental theory of physics—it can be guessed at; but subsequent theories become harder and harder to guess; however, the limit of all theories requires no guess—it is logical possibility

heuristic argument (iv)—possibility and actuality are distinct relative to limited contexts: for the universe possibility and actuality are identical; but actuality for the universe is real possibility; therefore, real possibility is the greatest possibility; it does not follow but it does suggest that this greatest possibility is what is recognized as logical possibility

consistency of the principle

concepts

no concepts introduced

content

the principle is clearly logically consistent, but is it consistent with science? as it is efficient to do so, consistency with science will be shown in consistency of the real metaphysics, p. 28—except, note: that we do not see all possibility in our cosmos is not a contradiction, for our cosmos is not the universe

the ultimate

concepts

identity, cosmology of identity, peak being, the ultimate, the individual, realization, death

content

identity is sense of sameness of self or object; here is a brief cosmology of identity

the universe has identity; the universe and its identity are limitless in kind, variety, extension (spatial), and duration; e.g., there are beings and cosmoses with variety in kind and physical law, without limit; there are peak beings without limit and the ultimate is the greatest of these—whether a state or process—Brahman; all beings, particularly individuals (beings with sapience), inherit or realize this power of the universe (the contrary would be a limit on the universe); individual beings inherit the limitlessness and power of the universe; realization occurs by transformation from the limited forms of beings; it occurs necessarily; death is real but not absolute; all these are in transaction with the void and so at least indirectly with one another; the fundamental principle implies a cosmology of limitless identity

metaphysics

though the previous division is metaphysical and the discussion in reason, p. 35, are ‘metaphysics’, it is convenient to mark off the material that flows from the fundamental principle as metaphysics

introduction

concepts

tradition

content

the fundamental principle shows the peak of possibility; details and paths are left open (i) to imagination, action, criticism—rational and ethical, and correction and (ii) tradition, interpreted as cumulative human culture from ancient times to the present moment (it carries with it its own meanings and applications of ‘value’ and ‘validity’)

metaphysics

concepts

metaphysics

content

metaphysics shall be understood as knowledge of the real; the real may be understood as the valid referents of ideas (of some being)—i.e., to what is definitely knowable

the concept of metaphysics*

metaphysics began with being, p. 13; explicit development now begins and continues through reason, p. 35

though metaphysics is an active endeavor today, consensus on what it is and whether it is possible is not full, especially since perfect knowledge of the real is often questioned with regard to knowledge—what it is, whether it is possible at all, and whether the gap between knower and the real is bridgeable

we take the somewhat unusual position of defining metaphysics at outset; we then continue, showing it is possible (this has already been done with regard to being and other concepts), showing it to be powerful (this has begun and will continue), and showing that metaphysics as conceived here covers essentially all that is said to be metaphysics today (and more, e.g., as in the real metaphysics, p. 27)—see the range of metaphysical thought, p. 35

the possibility of metaphysics*

how is metaphysical knowledge possible? firstly, as above, by abstraction; and secondly, as in the real metaphysics, p. 27, by arguing from the value revealed to a reconception of knowledge and its criteria in dual terms—perfect-pragmatic—and so to the perfection of the real metaphysics

the real metaphysics

concepts

real metaphysics

content

the real metaphysics is a system comprised of ideal knowledge derived from the fundamental principle, and pragmatic knowledge of traditions; the ideal illuminates and guides the pragmatic; the pragmatic illustrates the ideal, for which it is instrumental; the criteria of this system appear to be dual—‘perfect’ for the ideal and ‘good enough but incomplete and perhaps possessed of some error’ (which may be accommodated on the way from the immediate to the ultimate); but the criterion is one as it derives from the (or an) ultimate value of enjoyment of paths in the present and to the ultimate; the meaning of the real metaphysics is intrinsic—i.e., as just conceived and developed (the reasoning) and extrinsic—generally, that we ought to have a dual concern with the immediate and the ultimate and, particularly, its implications as developed earlier and below

consistency of the real metaphysics

concepts

no concepts introduced

content

the real metaphysics is consistent with rationality, logic, experience, and science because all these must be modified by the descriptor ‘so far’ and do not necessarily project to the universe (will consistency survive developments in logic and science—yes, for the developments are or will be always ‘so far’); note—it is not claimed that this consistency is proof of truth, but proof was given earlier

doubt and attitude

concepts

doubt, heuristics, attitude, metaphysical hypothesis, existential principle

content

yet it is good to doubt the proof; and, allowing for both doubt and consistency, and regarding the proof as heuristic, suggests alternate attitudes to the real metaphysics (i) as a metaphysical hypothesis in a scientific metaphysics (ii) as an existential principle of action

let us now look at consequences of the real metaphysics

experience and significant meaning

this section is naturally of apiece with word and concept meaning, p. 10, and concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science, p. 16; however, the present placement is efficient—(i) as introduction to ‘significant meaning’ and as preliminary to universe as field of being, p. 60

concepts

experience, significant meaning

content

in talking, earlier, of concepts, p. 16, and their references, experience was already implicit

experience, in its first meaning here, is conscious awareness in all its kinds (e.g., cognition, emotion) and modes (e.g., of experience itself and interaction with the world which includes the individual); experience is the place though not the only source of significant meaning (e.g., of life) and without experience the individual is effectively non-existent; all real transformation of an individual and continuation beyond death and approach to peak being must effectively occur in experience (but for continuation beyond death etc, this section is not dependent on the fundamental principle); thus experience, here, is broader than a common use as external experience, i.e., ‘experience of’ something

effectively, experience is the place of our being

with the later expansion of the scope experience in the section universe as field of being, p. 30, occurrences of the term ‘effectively’ in this division may be omitted

experience is the place of our being, significant meaning, and linguistic and concept meaning

an improved characterization of being is that a being is that which can have an effect on experience (of some experiencer)

systematic development of the concept of experience*

introduction

experience is implicit in discussing being and beings, p. 14, (‘that which is validly described…’) and meaning, p. 16, earlier; have deferred explicit treatment for efficiency

why the term ‘experience’?

though there are other uses of ‘experience’, e.g., to mean ‘experience of’, experience as conscious awareness is a common use in philosophy

I prefer ‘experience’ to ‘consciousness’ because (i) experience has connotations over and above those of consciousness, particularly ‘experience of’ (ii) I do not wish to refer to modern (c. 2020) consciousness studies, especially because they often find the term contentious and because the contentiousness (‘the hard problem’ of consciousness, the problem of mental causation, the problem of mind and matter as substances), I hold, is an artifact of an immature materialism and an immature metaphysics and understanding of the nature of metaphysics

why experience?

place of our being and significant meaning

experience is the place our being and place (if not source) of all significance

not transcended, for the measure of experience is experience; therefore, for us, being is experiential and, ultimately, as experienced

as will be seen, we are entirely experiential; the universe is entirely experiential

the place of all change, intrinsic and instrumental

relational; therefore, being—the world—is experiential

the being without (with no trace in) experience, self or other, is effectively non-existent (later ‘effectively’ will be removed; this will require expansion of the meaning of ‘experience’ to the root—to make the elimination meaningful; and it will require establishment of the fundamental principle to make it true)

co-foundation

…together with being

necessity—experience is our only window on being (for we do not get outside it); it is therefore necessary to foundation

sufficiency—and therefore sufficient to whatever foundation there may be

with adequate, unconditionally sufficient, e.g., to being

will be seen perfect, relative to the aim of realization

source of all knowledge—the world

being and experience complement one another as object and subject side of the world and approach to the world; this is taken up in detail in ‘interpretations’, below, and further developed in the subsequent narrative

experience incorporates reason

effective—optimal—way of achieving good—valuable, optimal—outcomes (ends, right ways, virtue)

includes determining value

includes attention to received reason

note the distinction—reason vs reasons

understanding, inference, and feeling—and their products (knowledge, rational action); received reason

includes learning

experience incorporates knowledge

world

‘everything’, clarified below

concept

mental content

in this most general sense, does not distinguish between percept, or ‘low- or high-level concept’

referent

that part of the world which a concept locates

not all concepts have referents

a concept can refer to another concept—i.e., concepts may be referents; if they could not, we could not have a concept of the idea of a concept

object

referent of a concept

external object

an object that is not a concept

the distinction between a concept as object and an external object, may mislead us into thinking that the distinction is fundamental (it is not), definite (it is not, objects have been seen to have an interpretation of being concepts at root, and the idea of the world as a conceptual system will be found to be an effective understanding of being and the universe), and that external objects have a different grade of reality than concepts (a mistaken view)

from a universal perspective, the distinction between concept as object and external object is not as significant as it seems, and will and need not be emphasized in any metaphysical description of the universe

world (detail)

the complete system of objects

external world

the system of external objects

with minor modification, the comments on external objects apply to the external world

meaning

a concept and its possible intended objects

the use of ‘meaning’ here is that of concept meaning and is distinct from that of significant meaning

iconic case

iconic concept

the concept is ‘pictorial’—i.e., it ‘shape’ (appears to) conform to the object

iconic meaning

an iconic concept and its possible intended objects

sign (simple)

mental content or other object, whose shape has no significance in itself, and whose role in meaning is solely in association with iconic concepts

sign (compound)

arrangement of simple signs that acquires meaning (possible intended objects) from conventions about the arrangements that correspond to forms of the world

i.e., the convention is not mere convention, but has arisen in selection or in design, so as to model (aspects of) the world

linguistic case

a linguistic concept is a simple or compound sign associated with an iconic concept

a linguistic meaning is linguistic concept and its possible intended objects

knowledge

meaning realized

about experience

the concept of experience

defined above

building up to the first use of the concept

‘experience of’… and ‘the experienced’

‘experience of’ is a common use, preliminary to the first meaning; entails ‘the experienced’; the two together do not constitute our use

etymology

here, does not refer to the related use of ‘experience’ as the process of getting knowledge firsthand—i.e., doing, feeling, seeing, or thinking about

are there ‘experience of’ and ‘the experienced’?

at least a manner of speaking, which may be used the fact of the two aspects is shown

experience as concept and object

to be able to talk of experience is to know that there is experience of experience

‘mind’ and ‘matter’

‘experience of’ and ‘the experienced’ correspond roughly to ‘mind’ and ‘matter’, which makes the relation transparent (note—this is not interaction, for the interaction is between two elements of being); we may see the material as being as such and the mental as relationship

a further ‘kind’ might be relationship of relationship, which is just relationship—i.e., there is no further kind; mind and matter are the only elements of what Spinoza thought to be an infinite series of ‘attributes’; but there may be limitlessly many qualities

are there mind and matter? the structure of experience suggests there are ‘mind’ and ‘matter’, we find this to be one of two consistent interpretations; later, from FP, it will follow that the universe must be experiential and there must be mind and matter (of course appropriately understood as two sides of beings, not as substances)

modes

experience is attitudinal-active; bifurcates as attitudinal and active; there is no strictly pure case, for there is always potential relation to the world

attitude-action

experience directed toward self in relation to (form and formation of) the world

note—though there is distinction, attitude and action are integrated it is therefore better to conceive and define attitude-action rather than to have separate definitions

attitude

emphasis on form and world over formation and self

but note in more inclusive senses, form includes formation and world includes self

action

emphasis on formation and self over form and world

‘pure’ experience

case that the directedness is null, but potential

dimensions of experience (‘functions’)

http://www.horizons-2000.org: experience and the dimensions of the world.html (final subsections ‘Dimensions of the world’, ‘Dimensions of experience’); manual for the way of being.html (especially experience-1, experience-2, experience-3) and very bare content.html (especially experience)

inner-outer, form-quality, bound-free, iconic-symbolic, imperative-neutral, state-function-recall (memory)

develop the logic and implications for cognition, emotion, feeling, memory, personality…

the first use of ‘experience’—animal awareness in all its forms

is there non-conscious awareness? will find awareness to be a kind of relation between sentient and world and conscious to non-conscious awareness a continuum (multi-d) of degree, not kind

awareness is relational; this is also noted below

relational being in all its forms—second use, justified later in ‘universe as field of being’

as ‘experience of’, experience so far is relational; pure experience is internally relational and potentially relational regarding the world

the object of ‘experience’

there is experience—and experience of experience

the notion of an ‘external world’ is metaphorical

experience is recursive

experience is part of the world

… and an as if world which includes experience

the as if world contains (as if) experience itself, the experiencer (or self), the experienced which—over and above experience and the self—other selves including animals and the ‘environment’ which harbors all of the foregoing

the environment and its contents are the world or universe, which are usually distinguished, but will be seen to be the same

as seen in the main narrative, FP enables removal of ‘as if’ and allows dual consistent interpretations—the standard v universe as field of being of which both have reality status, each being more convenient for certain situations; thus the ‘as if’ world is a good interpretation of the world, but not the only good interpretation

characteristics of experience

preliminary

the concept and object, above, already have characteristics of experience

will now consider amplification and further characteristics

how is experience known

as stated above to talk of experience requires its existence

in higher being (e.g., in some animals), experience is self-aware

that we have experience of experience is a source of intelligence for it results in the ability to direct experience

Descartes—to doubt experience is an experience: to doubt experience is to have experience

That there is experience requires no foundation beyond experience; and, certainly, the being of experience is not to be and does not need foundation in something else (e.g., matter or brains—which does not mean that there is no conceptual or actual relation between matter and brains or that the study of the relation is without worth)

form

experience and form

experience has form (with extension and relation) and formation (with change)

given experience as premise, there must be form and formation; but are form and formation will later be found necessary without further premise—but there are no further modes of difference but for absence (there may be multiple spatialities and temporalities in the same region)

sameness-difference

difference

fundamental and elementary aspect of the world, without which there is no experience of the world

sameness

absence of difference

duality

sameness and difference are dual

is not absence of sameness equivalent to absence of manifest being?

identity

this definition covers individual or personal and object identity

sense of sameness of object, includes self as object

extension (space)

measure of difference over difference of object

duration (time)

measure of difference with sense of sameness of object

change

difference with sense of sameness of object

therefore, duration is measure of change

attribute (Spinozan)

measure of difference

as difference with sense of sameness vs of difference of object exhaust kinds of Extensional difference, there are no further Spinozan attributes; however, this account does not eliminate the possibility of limitlessly many qualities

Extension

extension with duration

attributes (non-Spinozan)

quantity

aspect of an object that is dependent on Extension

quality

aspect of an object that is independent of Extension

may include spatiotemporality

property

quality that is independent of an observer

experiential relations

experience of

see more complete earlier discussion of knowledge

‘pure’

experience is relational

icon

sign

language

symbolic-iconic

syntax is iconic

languages

metaphysical language(s)

the experienced

world

includes experience—i.e., experience is experienced

object

experiencer

self (also experienced)

relational nature of experience

meaning and knowledge

because of its importance, this may have a separate higher-level section

interpretations

elaborates the main narrative

introduction

—i.e., of experience and the world

experience as if of the real may be (i) categorially in error in mistaking what is ‘as if of the real’ with the real (ii) imprecise, even if categorially valid

the aim of this section is to (begin to) derive valid description(s) of the real from experience

since we always remain ‘in experience’, the notions of ‘world’, ‘validity’, and ‘the real’ will necessarily be derived from the entire range of experience

what an interpretation is

in this section, an interpretation is a description of the world that is consistent with the entire range of experience

more generally, ‘interpretation’ may be used to refer to description of some object that is consistent with some system of experience

the interpretations may include patterns (‘higher’ concepts) projected on ranges of direct experience (percepts or ‘lower’ concepts)

why we introduce interpretations

interpretations are pragmatically useful

since not posits, even if categorially and objectively unfaithful, are open to refinement and correction

analysis of a range of interpretations that are consistent with experience may and will lead, by demonstration, to a true picture of the world and the real (this will require clarification of the meaning of ‘true picture’)

the aims are (i) to develop definite conclusions from experience, e.g. that there experience, that there is being (if only the being of experience itself) and so on which we have done so far, then of the existence of beings and the universe, which (in outline), is rather trivial and then the existence of the void, which while formally trivial, is profound in its implications (ii) develop a range of interpretations of experience (there is some concern with whether the range will be complete in some sense) (iii) regarding consistency with experience we can choose the level of conclusions in #i—if we start at the beginning (just experience) we will be able to generate a greater range (iv) we will look for a (the) maximal interpretations (an interpretation is maximal if it contains all beings contained in any other), there mutual consistencies, which can be eliminate at which level of conclusions #i and which are true descriptions (v) the remaining descriptions will then be true and the choice from among them will be made, not on the basis of truth, but on the basis of efficiency (noting that efficiency will be relative to criterion—but perhaps our analysis will single out one group of criteria that will be pertinent to the greatest value which should also emerge from analysis)

the interpretations

the main interpretations—i.e., classes of interpretation—are numbered (i) and (ii)

there is experience—for to doubt experience is to have an experience, positively—experience is the medium of our being and window on being

there is experience of experience—for without it, we could not know there is or report experience

there is a world—if only that the range of experience is itself a world

there must be a world—this will be shown after demonstration of the fundamental principle; heuristic—the standard world view, below, and its apparent stability; existential heuristic—from meaningfulness

the world is strictly materialist—this seems to follow from some interpretations of science and the apparent objectivity of ‘matter’, but, as we have seen, it is not a consistent interpretation of our world; however, from possibilism, developed later (the fundamental principle), there are strictly materialist worlds and other barren worlds that are dead to process, life, and experience

the world is monist, with experience as the substance and as having a matter-like aspect in having form and formation—this is at least an approximation to proximate experience (i.e., to our experienced world, e.g., the world of modern cosmology—the big bang or, perhaps, the multiverse world)

(i) a common world view that we call the standard secular view (SSV)—the world is a place with selves and others (including animals) and an environment (including plants), where the environment is not experientially null but has experientiality at a low or zero level

(ii) the world is the world experience as if of a single experiencer, but without the experiencer; though seemingly absurd, this is logically possible; here are two sub-cases (a) the experiencer has the experiential capacity of a human being as it is typically held to be—if our world is as rich as generally held, this cannot be our world (b) the world or universe itself is the experience of an experience of sufficient experiential capacity—from the earlier discussion under ‘substance’ this is not absurd, and it incorporates interpretation #i (SSV) above; it shall be named a field of being and experience (FOBE, FOE) interpretation and is an interpretation for the universe; if possibilism (FP) holds this is the maximal universe and includes all other possible interpretations of experience above; FOBE would phase into and out of manifestation, and the manifest phases would include human beings merged as ultimate in peak being

universe as field of being

concepts

interpretation, materialism, solipsism, field of being, field of experiential being, god

content

an interpretation of experience is a picture of the world (or part of the world) that is consistent with experience and may be suggested by it

the common interpretation of the world of experience is that of selves that are experiential and others, in an environment that is not necessarily categorially non-experiential but possessed of experientiality that is low or numerically zero (just as in physics a force of zero magnitude may be seen as a zero force or no force; for beings for which experientiality it is zero and without significance, the fundamental principle implies that it may acquire experientiality); this interpretation is a weak form of materialism; as used here, the first meaning of experience, p. 29, has been extended to the root of being

a second interpretation is that there is nothing but the experience (of an experiential whose existence would be hypothetical—all that is acknowledged is the experience); this interpretation is called (philosophical) solipsism; the fundamental principle permits and requires the existence of solipsist cosmoses; the difficulty in seeing our world as solipsist arises in relation to the common interpretation in which the individual is seen as limited in experiential scope relative to the world

a third interpretation is the same as the second—but rather than limited, the ‘individual’ of solipsism is the universe (and ordinary individuals are part of the greater individual); under this interpretation, experientiality extends down to the root of being, in fact and in potential, in muted quality and magnitude (as the material ‘side’ of the world); and the universe is a field of being (or just field, or field of experiential being); this reveals a second, enhanced, meaning to ‘experience’, in which experientiality extends to the root of being, not as we have it but as relation which, in human and other beings is additively constitutive of our level of consciousness; ‘matter’ and ‘mind’ are rough words for two sides of being; finally, given the fundamental principle, the greater individual-field of being are peak being and ordinary individuals are part of and approach it

the common and field interpretations are adequate descriptions of the universe; but then, there seems to be conflict between them—they seem to compete as descriptions of the real; but there is no conflict—both are valid; the common interpretation is suited to pragmatic living in our cosmos; the field interpretation is suited to living in our cosmos and seeing and moving beyond to the ultimate; of course, both views may be held simultaneously and are not in real conflict

under the field interpretation, we can see god as ultimate peak being but not as distinct from persons or the world—in that the name ‘god’ has meaningful application (in view of its uses), persons, the world, are rising from their primitive states, by evolution and saltational and other processes, pointing toward the ultimate, being there, and dissolution; the process is repeated eternally

the universe has phases of being an ultimate field of being

dimensions of being

concepts

dimensions of being, form, extension, duration, pure dimensions of being, pragmatic dimensions of being, nature, society, culture, the universal

content

the dimensions of being are variables whose values define kinds of being

experience necessarily has form, which necessitates extension (space); and change, which necessitates duration (time); difference with sameness of identity measures duration; with change of identity, it measures extension; therefore, there are no measures of such change beyond extension and duration (spacetime); but there may be other changes within identity (quality, property)

the pure dimensions of being are experiential form and formation as the world

pragmatic dimensions are chosen from tradition—from considerations of the real metaphysics, these need not be perfect; multiple traditions may be employed; an example from the modern western tradition follows

a system of pragmatic dimensions of being is nature (roughly, the world as found—simple or physical, complex or living, and experiential or of what we call ‘mind’), society and culture (a part of the world constructed by beings, defined in the tradition of a culture, and which includes knowledge or representation of itself and other pragmatic and pure dimensions—see the resources, p. 53, for a knowledge reference; some elements of knowledge are the pure and abstract sciences, art, technology, history, religion, and the humanities; some elements of society are politics, economics, exploration, building civilization, and pursuit of meaning and realization), and the ultimate or universal (the universe as beings become it via yoga, p. 48, which includes metaphysics, p. 26, and reason, p. 35)

metaphysics, cosmology, and physics

concepts

cosmology, absolute indeterminism, absolute determinism, block universe, dialetheia, quantum field, becoming from the void, emergence

content

on cosmology—cosmology, the study of the extension, duration, and variety of being, is continuous with metaphysics; some cosmology was considered in the ultimate, p. 25; this section takes up some topics in cosmology; there is systematic discussion in the resources, p. 53

determinism vs indeterminism (see determinism, p. 22), the block universe description, individual and peak identity—since the void is precursor to any being, the universe is absolutely indeterministic, but since it is precursor to every being, the universe is absolutely deterministic (in this dual remark ‘the void’ may be replaced by ‘any given being’); to resolve this apparent tension, consider the block universe, i.e., the universe described as a block constituted of the histories of all beings (here the block is regarded as a valid description, but not as ‘more real’ or ‘less real’ than other descriptions); the identities of individuals are elements of the experiential being of the universe; there are multiple trajectories through any given element of being, individual, or cosmos, and it is via these crossings, that the elements merge with peak being; further, the multiple copies of an individual (due to limitless repetition), though locally separate, gain identity via the peaks; for an individual in a cosmos, the cosmos has strong elements of determinism, but the cosmoses beyond are not determined relative to the individual; however, for being in its peak phases, the domain of determinism—of the definitely known—is greater and, considering all peaks, approaches the entire universe

existence of the void, dialetheia, and quantum theory: earlier, existence of the void was argued from equivalence to its non-existence; that the void exists and does not is an example, if it is true, of a dialetheia—a ‘true contradiction’; it has been argued, e.g., by Graham Priest, that there are dialetheias; that a dialetheia would not result in all statements being true, as it would in standard logic, would be ensured by somehow isolating it or via a para-consistent logic; however, many examples of dialetheias involve a shift in meaning such that the claimed contradiction is not a true contradiction

in the present case, again, there is no true contradiction, for the void is a ‘null universe’—and it is not a contradiction for a null universe or its ‘objects’ in a null universe to have contradictory properties as it would be for existing objects in a non-null universe (e.g., the tenth vs the eighth planet of the solar system being green and not green); what is interesting, however, is that this ‘edge case’ models (i) the equivalence of ‘nothing’ and a universe in which the energy of gravitation and matter add to zero (gravitation has negative energy) (ii) a logical precursor to quantum fields (iii) more generally the equivalence of being and non-being and the logical foundation of becoming from the void; why does quantum theory have a degree of indeterminism (if it does—the issue has not arrived at consensus)? perhaps in the emergence of form from the void (partial in quantum theory, complete in classical theories), quantum indeterminism is a residue of the indeterminism of formation from the void

dimensions of being, extended vertical and horizontal treatment*

http://www.horizons-2000.org: done well and briefly in very bare content.html; also see manual for the way of being.html; see experience and the dimensions of the world.html (the final subsections are dimensions of the world and dimensions of experience)

treated ‘vertically’ above, here the vertical treatment may be in greater detail and is extended horizontally

about religion

concepts

rational speculation, religion

content

where does religion fit into the scheme of the real metaphysics, p. 27? referring to word and concept meaning, p. 10, and concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science, p. 16, and realizing that human endeavors such as religion, science, and art are constructs and objects, it follows that we do not know that our grasp of them is final (until finality is demonstrated); therefore, an empirical and psychological account of such endeavors must be supplemented by a conceptual account; how shall this be done for religion? note that our best science is essentially empirical (even where summarized conceptually as our ‘great’ theories) and that most religion is essentially speculative, especially in its cosmological aspect, and often dogmatic; therefore, there is room beyond what is true in science and our religions for investigation; which may be scientific or rational speculation (i.e. speculation that is both reasonable and consistent with all that we know); therefore, let us conceive religion as an endeavor to know and be the ultimate with all our being—experiential and instrumental; now, however, from the real metaphysics, we know that religion includes but is more than rational speculation—the processes of logic, science, art, religion, and becoming merge as co-extensive under the metaphysics

the range of metaphysical thought*

“developments in metaphysics”

development of metaphysics

http://www.horizons-2000.org: topics in metaphysics, problems of eastern metaphysics, problems of western metaphysics

other sites: Metaphysics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

kinds of metaphysics

descriptive

the structure of our thought content about the world, an idea of Peter Strawson, who emphasized its importance in contrast to revisionary metaphysics (going beyond description); covered here under interpretations in interpretation in universe as field of being, p. 30

speculative

building consistent conceptual structures, developing conclusions, and comparing with the world (e.g., as done by A.N. Whitehead in his Process and Reality), then accepting tentatively or rejecting

analytic

building systems of thought, perhaps necessary, e.g., of abstract objects regarded as non-physical; may enhance speculative metaphysics to show necessity

synthetic-experiential

e.g., the real metaphysics, a mix of necessary and pragmatic, perfect in terms of revealed value; includes elements of previous kinds

problems of metaphysics (A)

the aim (A)

(i) to derive a set of problems, which should include the classical and modern problems of metaphysics (as far as is consistent with the concept of metaphysics, allowing flexibility for practice) (ii) to show their completeness over the range, (iii) methods of address, particularly necessity and completeness with respect to their subject (as far as possible) (A)

the logic of the problems (A)

the logic arises out of the development of the metaphysics as a natural and rigorous development or flowering of being and the aspects of being; here, two issues arise (i) where should the real metaphysics be placed; though the treatment loses no power, it is elegant to defer it but efficient to place it as early as possible (ii) similarly, some issues may gain clarity from two treatments, one before and one after the real metaphysics, efficiency is gained from one treatment after the metaphysics (the choice does not affect the power of treatment); the development of the metaphysics is, with only what is essential to the real metaphysics coming before it (I see some treatment of experience as essential to the metaphysics—the essentials are implicit in being and meaning)— (A)

being, meaning, and knowledge > reasons > the universe and the void > the fundamental principle and the real metaphysics > reason > sameness, identity; extension, duration, and their absence (‘spacetime’); cosmology of limitless identity > experience and significant meaning > dimensions of being; metaphysics, cosmology, and physics; religion and religious cosmology; pathways to the ultimate (A)

a listing of problems (A)

the following is a modification of the problems in Metaphysics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)— (A)

pre-modern (A)

the nature of being (A)

being as such, first causes, unchanging things (A)

categories of being and universals (A)

the problem of substance (A)

early modern (A)

materialism and empiricism (A)

idealism (A)

Immanuel Kant (A)

modern and current (A)

modality (A)

identity (and persistence and constitution), space, and time (A)

causation, determinism, and freedom (A)

the mental and the physical (A)

consciousness, mind, and matter (A)

a final version of the problems of metaphysics (A)

the following amplify the purview of metaphysics beyond the ‘standard’ or ‘canonical’ problems of western metaphysics just above (A)

the treatment will focus on problems not addressed in the development; problems treated may be linked or have only enhancements (A)

issues about metaphysics (A)

what metaphysics is (A)

on metaphysics and meaning—the centrality of meaning to ‘what metaphysics is’ and issues such as the nature of philosophy and its branches, the knowledge and technology disciplines (A)

the relation of metaphysics to philosophy, epistemology, logic and reason, and value; to what extent does metaphysics contain all; what is prior in understanding (A)

the question of ‘purism’—ought the criteria for knowledge and, correspondingly, the nature of metaphysics be single valued, e.g., perfect or pragmatic, or a mix of criteria (as for the real metaphysics) (A)

metaphysics and imperative (A)

problems emerging from the real metaphysics, e.g.— (A)

consequences of the metaphysics (A)

the fundamental question of metaphysics (A)

a principle of sufficient reason (A)

the abstract and the concrete (A)

a system of the world (A)

consequences of development of the metaphysics (A)

metaphysics, foundations, and method (A)

a metaphysics of questions (A)

given interpretations (the real), indistinguishable interpretations (and worlds)—standard v solipsist (and variations: Descartes’ demon, brain in a vat) v field of being universe, free will, world as simulation (meaning), Russell’s worlds (A)

a circle of essential problems and learning from them—(a) the circle: metaphysics – meaning – knowledge – epistemology – reason – science… (b) learning: while they seem to be mere puzzles, they enable construction of a realist world view or metaphysics (A)

problems of western metaphysics (A)

above; and (A)

theory of human and higher being— (A)

with an eye on Heidegger’s metaphysical motivation—but not to be restricted to Heidegger’s focus or methodology) (A)

problems of eastern metaphysics (A)

India (A)

this is limited at present to what has been useful in the development of the way and the real metaphysics; this may be formulated as a single question— (A)

how do Yoga, Samkhya, and Vedanta (and Adi Samkara’s thought) imaginatively and critically suggest, inspire, and fit into the way and the real metaphysics (A)

other (A)

to be developed (A)

some problems (A)

modality (A)

possibility and necessity—treatment in light of the metaphysics (A)

given a concept of an existent (existents), it is possible according to a criterion, if existence of the object is not ruled out by the criterion; it is necessary according to the criterion if non-existence is ruled out by the criterion (A)

in this sense, possibility as a property of concepts and their potential objects rather than a property of an object (A)

kinds of possibility—i.e., criteria (A)

intrinsic—i.e., to the concept; the most inclusive is logical (A)

kinds—modes of expression or concept, leading to ‘logics’ (A)

extrinsic—i.e., to the object, i.e., real, e.g., the conditions or world of its existence, e.g., physical (A)

from the fundamental principle, the most inclusive extrinsic or real possibility is identical to logical possibility (A)

metaphysical (A)

the idea, here, of metaphysical possibility is to consider general constraints to kinds of being, from their nature rather than their being in our physical world (A)

general (A)

identical to intrinsic, i.e., logical (A)

special (A)

real in having some features of the real but not necessarily of any particular being (cosmos) (A)

purpose—to analyze the real or aspects of it without encumbrance of particulars (A)

real (A)

form (A)

i.e., form and formation > extension, change (A)

theoretical (A)

limited by theory, hypothesis, or law (A)

scientific (A)

limited by theory, hypothesis, or law (A)

e.g., physical, cosmological, chemical, geological, biological, psychological, social, economic, and political (A)

mathematical (A)

sentient (A)

intelligent (A)

self-aware (A)

able to inquire into the nature and meaning of (its own) being (A)

cosmology*

cosmology is part of metaphysics, but is placed in a separate section, first because it incorporates the pragmatic side of metaphysics that draws extensively from tradition, and, secondly, because there is a traditional distinction between cosmology and metaphysics

the concept of cosmology

description of the universe and its forms or patterns

supplemented as possible and useful by concepts, analysis, experience, and learning

form includes formation

patterns allow extrapolation, prediction

general cosmology

logical

logical cosmology is general cosmology

logic and the logic of consistent possibilities; possibility theory

mathematics, recursion, computation, games

philosophical

method

reason

see the main discussion of reason

paradigms

paradigms are part of reason but are mentioned explicitly here because their use is significant

determinism

part determines whole

this is also what a pattern is

… and indeterminism; kinds of determinism; absolute determinism and absolute indeterminism

block universe

as perspective or description rather than having a different grade of reality than that of other descriptions

the alternate description vs different grade of reality pervades knowledge of many contexts, e.g., the interpretations of experience, and the question of heliocentricity—which, from a neutral standpoint, is a question of efficient description

relative nature of the determined—

the determinism (vs indeterminism) is effectively determined by locale in the universe, e.g., a cosmos, and is observer dependent to the extent that the substance of the observer is the pragmatic substance of the locale

and merging of identities

cosmology of form

form and formation

method

method for general cosmology

real metaphysics, received and reasoned paradigm

reason—review and extension from earlier discussions under metaphysics and general cosmology

kinds of ‘cosmos’

from interpretations of experience

variations of the paradigms

our cosmos

‘physical cosmology’

method

method for general cosmology and cosmology of form

methods of physical cosmology

astronomy

theoretical physics

cosmological modeling

cosmological realms

origins and reasons… galaxies… solar systems… planets… life and its creation and origins

dimensions of being

treated earlier

reason

introduction

concepts

justification, local world, quality of life, epistemology, axiology, action

content

this discussion of ‘reason’ is about justification of the development; it is not necessary reading for readers not concerned with justification

though there is concern with validity in other divisions, developing the ideas has taken priority over validity; this section briefly addresses that lack; the concern is addressed via discussion of ‘reason’ (the meaning of reason in this division is quite different from its meaning in reasons, p. 19); see the resources, p. 53, for further sources on reason

the plain fact that we negotiate the local world implies that we have some knowledge according to at least pragmatic criteria; but the question of the validity of knowledge is important if we want (i) to improve quality of life in the local world or (ii) go beyond the local world to the ultimate world; thus epistemology, the study of knowledge, especially of its validity is a vast subject, often deemed the most important division of philosophy (but here we find that metaphysics stands first as it encompasses epistemology, logic, and theory of value); in this division we will affirm what is already explicit—that (i)there is a realm of perfect and universal but abstract knowledge and a realm of instrumental and pragmatic knowledge (ii) the realms mesh to constitute a pragmatic system that is perfect in terms of its necessary and emergent values (iii) that this places received epistemology in context, lessening rather than negating its significance

because a fundamental issue of metaphysics as knowledge of the real is what we know and how, epistemology is sometimes held as central in thought, especially philosophy; however, there is no epistemology without metaphysics (knowledge and knowers are part of the world) and no true epistemology or metaphysics without value (which is essential to criteria for knowledge and aims of metaphysics); metaphysics, epistemology, and axiology ought to be studied as one; further (i) as knowing and becoming are essentially interactive and (ii) knowing is an incomplete mode of becoming (exalted by intellect), metaphysics and action constitute being

the meaning of reason

concepts

understanding, reason, abstraction

content

in the western tradition, understanding commonly refers to direct knowledge and its criteria, and reason refers to reasoning or inference from understanding (and criteria of reasoning)

here, reason shall refer to the join of understanding and reason as conceived above (and because the conceptions include criteria, reason shall also be empirical or experimental—i.e., it shall extend to action—and reflexive, i.e., critical of itself and imaginative with regard to itself); an abstraction from a concept or abstract concept is one from which distortable detail is conceptually removed (with sufficient abstraction, being is a being); sufficient abstraction leaves a perfectly known and non-trivial referent of the concept; used in this sense, an abstract or abstracted referent is not remote or abstruse but is more concrete in its certain knowability and reality than those existents we think of as concrete but whose knowledge is subject to distortion; informally, ‘understanding’ may also refer to the join of understanding and reason in their meanings as received from Kant

developing reason for the way

concepts

substance, grammar, lexicon, logical proof, implication, non-contradiction, the a priori, self-foundation, ethics, aesthetics, holism, rational speculation, paradigm, general cosmology

content

the main concepts of the ideal treatment are being (and experience), beings, the universe, the void, natural law, possibility, and logic; these concepts lend themselves to perfection (by abstraction) and completeness, as far as possible, by inclusion of being, universe, the void, and logic; this shows that the selected concepts may be foundational and grounding, but not why

classical approaches to foundation are (i) substances, which are simple entities or kinds of entity that generate the variety of the world—once we know substance, the argument goes, we know the world (ii) relative foundation that never refers to a final substance, e.g., infinite regress (iii) coherence of the concepts; but substance is elusive, the relative foundation is not foundational, and coherence is but pragmatic; the idea of ‘being’—that which is, i.e., that which is most immediate, alternatively written “that which may be validly known”—is against substance, but it is what we have and, epistemically we cannot go empirically beyond what we have; therefore should being (and the related concepts above) be capable of being founding, the foundation would be known to be secure; and what we have shown so far is that being is capable of being foundational, precisely, in part, because of its immediacy and givenness—which is unlike the remoteness of substance; further as that which is most immediate, being is grounding—and framing, for, as understood here, it frames the various kinds of being we encounter and which may have been what thought has hitherto sought in substance and varieties of being (it ought to be noted that similar thoughts regarding being are found in the writings of other authors)

the essential supplements regarding reason here are (i) the ideal account of being, beings (including, e.g., the universe and the void), is perfect because all that is employed in the account is an abstraction of those concepts—this leads to the certainty of the ideal side of the pure metaphysics (ii) the logic of the ideal account is so primitive—as immanent in the elementary grammar and lexicon of the abstracted fundamental concepts, i.e., being, universe, the void, law or pattern, logical possibility, logical proof here, for the fundamental principle, p. 22, involving implication and non-contradiction—that no further foundation is necessary (iii) the pragmatic side fits together with the ideal as described in the real metaphysics, p. 27, (iv) the result, the real metaphysics, is a priori not only to experience of the world but all experience including thought, and in this sense, the a priori would refer to a system of knowledge or metaphysics that is self-founding—i.e., makes its foundation apparent—with regard to depth, p. 43, but not breadth, p. 43 (v) the system is not just a system of knowledge but, as seen, incorporates value (e.g., ethics and aesthetics); it is thus holist, but this holism does not deny that the parts may often be treated independently—in fact or of necessity; while the foundation is perfect in the sense stated above, pushing for perfection in other senses remains valuable, yet any quest for perfection ought to remain in balance with action and becoming

are the cosmological consequences of this work speculative—i.e., are they rational speculation in the sense of being reasonable and neither containing nor entailing contradiction? recall that ‘every possibility is realized’ means that concepts that do not violate logic are realized somewhere in the universe (thus imagination is a fertile source of the variety, extent, and duration of being); all logically possible concepts must be realized as many times as do not constitute a violation of logic; if a concept is such that it can be realized only once without contradiction, there is no speculation in asserting its realization (but there may be speculation in asserting its significance); if the concept can be realized in more ways than one (e.g., by adaptive increment or by saltation), it would be speculative to suggest how frequent the ways are, but speculation may perhaps be improved upon by employing tradition and its paradigms; this shows the way to developing general cosmology, i.e., study of the extension, duration, and variety of being

what the foundation in reason says

concepts

depth, breadth, logic, science, general logic, science of the universe, procedure, method

content

in terms of the criteria above, it says that the foundation is perfect and complete with regard to depth—there is no need for another layer; with regard to breadth, i.e., the variety of being, the foundation is perfect but complete only for limitless being—for limited beings, though knowledge and realization of the variety is given, it is given only as a process (a good thing, for discovery and realization is an eternal adventure)

the foundation does not eliminate the need for modern studies in metaphysics (in the present and other senses of the term), epistemology, ethics, or philosophy of science; the foundation places those studies in context and (i) limits their significance relative to the value revealed (realization of the ultimate in and from the present) (ii) shows that final foundation of knowledge of our world and local ethics in its detail is not possible and therefore cannot be desirable (if it were possible it would not be desirable relative to the revealed ultimate value)

though only a hint of the case is given here, it reveals logic and the abstract and concrete sciences as empirical and rational in nature and as constituting a unity (with internal diversity); and it reveals that if the various logics concern modes of expression, then the range of developed logics must be enormously incomplete

earlier, in concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science, p. 16, necessary and contingent conditions for a concept to refer were considered and named (necessary) logic and science, respectively; logic and science can were brought under one umbrella, general logic, as follows; an imagined or created concept may or may not refer to anything; those conditions for valid reference that lie solely in the concept are of necessary logic; the conditions that, over and above those of necessary logic, lie in the world are scientific; but the necessary-logical conditions are not merely of conceptual structure, e.g., grammatical, for both the necessary logical and scientific conditions are of the real; what we now see is that the science of the universe in its entirety is general logic, that science as a procedure (i.e., less than an algorithmic method), i.e., as a process, lies in the finding of logics and sciences, and that the particular sciences or theories pertain to parts of the universe and kinds within those parts; thus science and logic have a symmetry under the ideas of general logic and science as a process

logic and science*

logic and science are often said to be deductive and inductive, respectively—this view is misconceived; but what does it mean? it means that inference under logic is deductive, i.e., necessary, while inference to science is inductive, i.e., good so far but not necessarily to be projected beyond; note the comparison under the view of ‘inference under logic’ vs ‘inference to science’; what ought to be compared is (i) inference to logical systems with inference to scientific theories and (ii) inference under logical systems and inference under scientific theories; we then find that #i is inductive for both logic and science, while #ii is deductive under both; this furthers understanding of the symmetry between science and logic

identity of yoga and reason*

in an extended sense, yoga and reason are the same

on reason and meaning*

when asking a specific question, e.g., what science is, it is sometimes thought that the thing (science in this case) is a definite object (existent) waiting only to be discovered

however, there is no existent at all without a concept; and discovery occurs in a dual space of concepts and referents (existence); and so, focus on meaning (concepts and possible referents) is essential to knowledge (concepts and actual referents)

thus, there is always the meta-question of meaning

but there is also a meta-question of the relationship of the given concept (science) to other concepts (e.g., logic); and the world of concepts is seemingly inexhaustible; therefore, with A.N. Whitehead, we recognize that an adequate account and theory of meaning is possible with and only with a full and valid metaphysics; which is provided by the real metaphysics

but with artifacts, e.g., science, whose practice is our creation, relative to our limited capacities, the referent is evolving; but the metaphysics reveals this to be true of all things for the notion that the physical world is fixed is an approximation based on taking our limitations as absolute

reason in general*

what is reason?

as used here, reason covers direct knowledge (understanding) and indirect knowledge (inference, what Kant called ‘reason’)

employs all aspects of being—cognition, feeling and emotion, value; process and relation…

reason and the a priori

elimination of the a priori

limits of reason

unlimited with regard to depth

limited with regard to breadth—but only in received senses of ‘limits’

reason and the real metaphysics

as treated above

creation and discovery: reason an imagination*

how to come up with an argument

needs development

history of the metaphysics

elaboration

http://www.horizons-2000.org: reason and the way of being.html

pathways

being in the real

‘pathways’ is about living as and for realization; it begins with begins with three general sections—aim of being, paths, and ways; it then takes up path templates that are adaptable to a variety of individual and social orientations to the ultimate and ways to it; the section return to the world, p. 52, is a perspective on connecting the way to the world; resources, p. 54, provide assistance in understanding the way and in realization

aim of being

concepts

intelligence, enjoyment, pleasure, pain, value, imperative, aim of being, paths, sharing

content

intelligence is that which makes negotiation in and for the world effective; enjoyment is appreciation of all elements of experience, inner or intrinsic—especially those of pleasure, pain, and intelligence, and of the world, extrinisic—being-in-the-world; if enjoyment is a value (desirable), it is valuable (imperative) to pursue realization of the ultimate in and from the present (pain ought to be addressed therapeutically and pleasure is not insignificant, but there best address is to be on a path); this is the aim of being, which is not exclusive of immediate value; there are ‘intelligent’ paths to the ultimate; to be on a path is not just to follow others or prescribed paths, which may be useful, but also to negotiate and develop pathways—and, especially, share and support others in the process

the aim of being and the aim of the way, p. 9, are the same

paths

concepts

meditation, yoga

content

experience and significant meaning, p. 29, suggests that a way to the ultimate is through the experiential self; regard meditation as the place of self and its transformation (i) by expansion of extent and scope (ii) by reflexive action upon the powers of meditation; it would then seem that meditation is the way to the ultimate

however, the experiential self has a ‘physical’ side and so the idea of meditation ought to be enhanced to include it; there seems to be no western term that corresponds to this idea but the eastern term ‘yoga’ (in the eastern sense) comes near to it; regard yoga as the place of the individual and its transformation (see resources, p. 53, for a yoga reference) (i) by expansion of extent and scope (ii) by reflexive action upon the physical and experiential powers of individual; then yoga is the way to the ultimate; yoga can learn from the eastern systems but it must be essentially experimental and experiential; and it will include and emphasize meditation; if it is to have universal purchase it will be synthesized with metaphysics, p. 26, and reason, p. 35

how and when is the ultimate attained? it may be achieved in or from ‘this life’ but this seems rare; more commonly this life is preparation for the individual and by sharing for the community; and in realization of the ultimate, the peak of peaks in dynamic and experiential unity—the peak individual sees and incorporates all beings—individuals and civilizations moving among the universe’s epochs of peak and dissolution, e.g., from cosmos to cosmos

ways

concepts

ways

content

ways are traditional formulations, e.g., secular humanism, the religions, speculative and prescriptive metaphysical systems; they may have useful elements but are often touched by mere speculation, dogma, and limited viewpoints

means*

reason, p. 35, and metaphysics, p. 26

received ways, secular and transsecular

integration—of reason and received ways

introduction to the path templates

concepts

template

content

the development now takes up and presents path templates; and a dedication and affirmation; Internet links to detailed versions are in the resources, p. 53

design of the templates

concepts

principle, design, adaptability, individual orientation, cultural orientation, immediate, universal, community, civilization

content

two minimally prescriptive templates, every-day and universal, are derived from principle; the design of the templates is based on reason, p. 35, and the real metaphysics, p. 27, particularly the dimensions of being, p. 32, and received ways (yoga and meditation), p. 55; their presentation here is skeletal, so as to be adaptable to a range of individual orientations and cultural orientations; the templates cover the immediate to the universal, the community and civilization

every-day template

concepts

dedication, affirmation, review, priorities, realization, (yoga) practice, action, sharing, engagement, networking

content

activities of a day are (i) rise, dedication, affirmation of the way (ii) contemplative review of priorities and plans (iii) realization—work, relationships, tasks (‘chores’), yoga—practice – action – sharing, engagement in the world (iv) supplement with physical activity and exploration (v) evening—rest, renewal, preparation and review for the next day, options of realization, networking, and community engagement

planning template*

to include planning for life, the way, and the day, be introduced; not one of the two main templates

dedication

concepts

discovery, realization, bonds of limited self

content

we dedicate our life to the way of being; to living in the immediate and the ultimate as one

to shared discovery and realization of the way; under the pure dimension of the world as experiential being in form and formation the pragmatic dimensions of the world as found or nature, as we contribute to it or culture, exploration, technology, and society, and as we become it via yoga and action on the way to the ultimate and the universal

to shedding the bonds of limited self so that we can see the way so clearly that life is flow over force

to realizing the ultimate in this life and beyond

affirmation

concepts

consciousness, ‘That’

content

that pure unlimited consciousness—transcending all principles of form… that is supreme reality; that is the ground for the establishment of all things—and that is the essence of the universe; by That the universe lives and breathes, and That alone am I; thus, I embody and am the universe in its ordinary and most transcendent form (a paraphrase of a quote from Abhinav Gupta, 950 – 1016 CE, a philosopher-theologian of Kashmir)

universal template

concepts

pure being, retreat, renewal, dimensions of being, being in the universe, brahman, this life and beyond

content

for engagement in the world (i) pure being, community, retreat, and renewal (ii) ideas, intellect, and yoga (iii) choice of options for engagement in the dimensions of being, p. 32—nature, society and its culture, technology, and exploration (all the foregoing in themselves and as vehicle and path to the real), and the universal (iv) being in the universe, realizing peak being (‘Brahman’ in Vedanta philosophy), in this life and beyond

the instrumental vs the intrinsic

concepts

instrumental (dimension), intrinsic (dimension)

content

a pragmatic distinction among the dimensions of being, p. 32, is that of the instrumental—roughly material, vs the intrinsic—roughly experiential; it is pragmatic because it dissolves in the real and the ultimate; technology in our world and politics ‘as usual’ are seen as instrumental, yet technology may be constructed as experiential and social affairs may become experiential by immersion; a question arises: in realization, which of the following distinctions ought we to follow—(i) technical and scientific vs soft knowledge, art, and intuitive metaphysics and (ii) technology and transformation vs experiential realization of the ultimate? the valid response is that until we know better and the distinctions merge, we ought to follow an intelligent (as far as possible optimal) integration of the distinctions

return to the world

In the life of the spirit, we are always at the beginning
Relationship Runes: A Compass for the Heart, Ralph H. Blum, 2004

the remaining material is informal

concepts

practice, return, connection, narrative, transformation, past, present, future, immersion, becoming, commitment, renewal, retreat, challenge, problem, opportunity, written tradition, literature, stream of continuous text

content

practice is ‘in the world’; this division emphasizes living in the world

‘return’ turns from the general to the specific in reflecting an author’s thoughts about the future—especially my future, this work, the world, and specifically about connecting the way to the world

some significant ideas for return are—maintaining the narrative, sustaining transformation, connecting past to present to future; immersion in the worlds of nature and culture as transformative, becoming; sustaining commitment, renewal, retreat; challenges, problems, and opportunities of the world; written tradition, literature, maintaining a stream of continuous text via periodic summation of the literature

elaboration on return to the world*

http://www.horizons-2000.org: relevant material from the following are already incorporated: bare content—October 7, 2021 and bare content—October 27, 2021 (final)

concepts

world, destiny, in-the-world, from-the-world, realization, being (verb), secular-transsecular world (‘one world’), map of the world, culture, sharing, immersion, development (of the way), way ahead, discovery, continuity, history, oral tradition, ritual tradition, media, history of thought and action

return

general sources— http://www.horizons-2000.org: topics and concepts for the way.docm #epilogue, précis.docm; and outline.html

from narrative to the world—text, ideas, and being

having understood the nature of the world, transformation, and destiny, we return to an emphasis on realization in and from the world

the way as connecting past, present, and future as one

a guide for immersion and realization

divisions on being, metaphysics, and reason pave the way in; the pathways show the way; ‘return’ is a guide, with supplements in the resources

being in the world

one world

the immediate and the ultimate as one

being and becoming

commitment

freshness of attitude requires renewal—even for paradigms that are reinforced in society. but the way is not so reinforced, and requires especial effort to maintain its freshness as living truth

renewal

meditative

active

retreat

a secular-transsecular world

one world and integration

challenge—problems and opportunities of the world

a theory of challenge

a map of the world

http://www.horizons-2000.org: make consistent with divisions of system of human knowledge

universe

other sites: Universe and its large-scale uniformity, galaxies, clusters, superclusters, filaments, voids, World - Wikipedia

cosmos

the world

geography and resources

other sites: Geography, Ocean; Continent; Natural resource - Wikipedia

oceans

continents

politics

political divisions (nations, states…)

other sites: Administrative division; Country; Nation; Political divisions of the United States (example); Political history of the world; List of sovereign states - Wikipedia; The World Factbook (cia.gov)

politics

other sites: Political philosophy; Political science - Wikipedia

economics

other sites: World economy; Economy - Wikipedia

theory

other sites: Economics - Wikipedia

political economy

culture

secular

transsecular

integration

resource sharing (allocation)

the problems and opportunities

http://www.horizons-2000.org: world problems and opportunities.html; details in journey in being.html

sharing and immersion

developing the way

http://www.horizons-2000.org: journey in being.html – history of the metaphysics (docm)

the way ahead

the way ahead is shared discovery and realization in the worlds of psyche, nature, civilization, and the universe

sharing of the ideas of the way are also envisioned as a stream of continuous text (details below) in which every age has texts that attempt summation and re-vision of established and emerging ideas (such texts would not be ‘encyclopedias’)

ideas, action, and continuity

history

oral and ritual tradition

written tradition

literature

media

continuous text

historical integration

every generation (note the repetition—see every age, above) ought to write to encapsulate the history of thought and action—to summarize the knowledge and wisdom of the past (the received ways), to compare it against reason, to see what is valid and to have a rational (i.e.—critical and imaginative) view for the future

the result may be a stream of continuous text

this may inherit the virtue but not the burden of the past

cyclicity

resources

guides, inspiration

concepts

resource, resource system, general resources, knowledge resource

concepts—details*

resource development, concept database, development, planning, execution, cross reference, glossary, lexicon, dictionary, index

resources

a resource is an established means; the resources below are useful in the way

resource system

a resource system page, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/old/the essential way of being.html#resources

resource system—details*

a resource development page, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/old/the essential way of being.html#resource_dev

a resource system directory, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/resources.html

general resources

general resources are the way of being website, http://www.horizons-2000.org, and site development, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/plan.html

reading, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/reading.html

an everyday template, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/narratives/everyday template.pdf (as alternative to ‘pdf’, also available in ‘html’ and ‘docm’ versions)

a universal template, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/narratives/universal template.pdf (‘html’ and ‘docm’ available)

dedication and affirmation, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/dedication-affirmation.pdf (‘html’ and ‘docm’ available)

yoga and meditation, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/topic essays/meditation.html

general resources—details*

lessons for the way, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/topic essays/lessons for the way of being.html—builds the way in presentable blocks

knowledge resources

a knowledge resource is a system of knowledge, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/system of human knowledge, reason, practice, and action.html (…links to a supplement, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/system of human knowledge, reason, and action-supplement.html)

world problems and opportunities, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/world problems and opportunities.html, detailed system of problems and opportunities, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/journey in being.html#Challenges_and_opportunities

knowledge resources—detail*

a a concept database, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/the way of being.mdb

main influences for the way, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/main influences for the way.html

developing and executing the way*

developing, publishing, sharing, visioning, planning, and executing priorities—main priorities, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/personal/main priorities.pdf

for topics for source texts in print and on the web, see ‘system of human knowledge’ link, above

for bibliographies, see the website and site development links above

development of the way as a resource*

for the development, see history of the metaphysics, http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/journey in being.html#history_of_the_metaphysics

reference*

this document is a source for internal links and cross reference, and external links

glossary references—the lexicon journey in being (lexicon), http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/resources/journey in being.html#lexicon, is useful; the dictionary of topics and concepts for the way (dictionary), http://www.horizons-2000.org/2021/narratives/topics and concepts for the way.html#dictionary, is particularly useful as it emphasizes received usage in philosophy

index

the concepts

main concepts are in italics; for convenience, some terms, here and in the main text, are identified as concepts in more than one place

preview

ultimate achievement, dogma, secularism, transsecularism, a being (plural: beings), being, a reason (plural: reasons, related to but distinct from ‘reason’), kind of reason (necessary, logic, argument, unconditional, independent, null, absolute), law, universe, the void, creator, existence, fundamental principle of metaphysics, identity, peak being, the individual, death (is real but not absolute), pleasure, pain, enjoyment, path to the ultimate, therapy, imperative, sharing, experience (in the sense of awareness), meditation, the body, material world, science, the sciences—concrete and abstract, technology, the arts, the humanities, yoga

about the way

aim of the way

origins

origins, significant meaning (‘meaning of life’), becoming; sources—ideas and action—history and individual experience

destinations

destinations, the ultimate, the present or the immediate, the real metaphysics

meaning

consensus experience, concept meaning (‘linguistic’)

this edition

imagination, originality, foundation, self-foundation, axiomatic approach, informal vs formal development, application, introduction, preview, principles of organization, flow of ideas, motive, explanation

being

being and beings

being (the verb to be), a being (plural—‘beings’), characteristic

being, foundations, and grounding

foundation, grounding, anthropomorphism, cosmomorphism

concept meaning, knowledge, logic, and science

referential concept, icon, sign (simple or compound), language, symbol (linguistic), meaning, knowledge, necessity, contingency, fact, science, art, value

kinds of being

kind, correspondence (this concept and the next concern the nature and criterion for validity of knowledge), pragmatic

possibility and laws of nature

possible being, pattern, law of nature, law, cosmos, necessary logic, logical possibility

reasons

explanation (general), a reason (noun, plural—‘reasons’), logical reasons, possibility, probability, explanation (explanatory reason), necessity, material reasons, power, material cause, self-cause

the universe and the void

universe, creator, the void

introduction to the fundamental principle of metaphysics

no concepts introduced

existence of the void

determinism, indeterminism

the fundamental principle

the fundamental principle of metaphysics, the principle of plenitude, manifestation

consistency of the principle

no concepts introduced

the ultimate

identity, cosmology of identity, peak being, the ultimate, the individual, realization, death

metaphysics

introduction

tradition

metaphysics

metaphysics

the real metaphysics

real metaphysics

consistency of the real metaphysics

no concepts introduced

doubt and attitude

doubt, heuristics, attitude, metaphysical hypothesis, existential principle

experience and significant meaning

experience, significant meaning

universe as field of being

interpretation, materialism, solipsism, field of being, field of experiential being, god

dimensions of being

dimensions of being, form, extension, duration, pure dimensions of being, pragmatic dimensions of being, nature, society, culture, the universal

metaphysics, cosmology, and physics

cosmology, absolute indeterminism, absolute determinism, block universe, dialetheia, quantum field, becoming from the void, emergence

about religion

rational speculation, religion

the range of metaphysical thought*

no concepts at present

cosmology*

no concepts at present

reason

introduction

justification, local world, quality of life, epistemology, axiology, action

the meaning of reason

understanding, reason, abstraction

developing reason for the way

substance, grammar, lexicon, logical proof, implication, non-contradiction, the a priori, self-foundation, ethics, aesthetics, holism, rational speculation, paradigm, general cosmology

what the foundation in reason says

depth, breadth, logic, science, general logic, science of the universe, procedure, method

pathways

aim of being

intelligence, enjoyment, pleasure, pain, value, imperative, aim of being, paths, sharing

paths

meditation, yoga

ways

ways

introduction to the path templates

template

design of the templates

principle, design, adaptability, individual orientation, cultural orientation, immediate, universal, community, civilization

every-day template

dedication, affirmation, review, priorities, realization, (yoga) practice, action, sharing, engagement, networking

dedication

discovery, realization, bonds of limited self

affirmation

consciousness, ‘That’

universal template

pure being, retreat, renewal, dimensions of being, being in the universe, brahman, this life and beyond

the instrumental vs the intrinsic

instrumental (dimension), intrinsic (dimension)

return to the world—details*

return, connection, narrative, world, transformation, destiny, in-the-world, from-the-world, past, present, future, immersion, realization, being (verb), becoming, commitment, renewal, retreat, secular-transsecular world (‘one world’), challenge, problem, opportunity, map of the world, culture, sharing, immersion, development (of the way), way ahead, discovery, continuity, history, oral tradition, ritual tradition, written tradition, literature, media, stream of continuous text, history of thought and action

resources

resource, general resources, knowledge resources, resource system

resources—details*

development, planning, execution, cross reference, glossary, index