Essential Concepts for Metaphysics and Cosmology

ANIL MITRA © April 29, 2013. REVISED April 29, 2013

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Contents

Preliminary

Aim

Approach

The concepts

A list of the concepts

Essential Concepts for Metaphysics and Cosmology

Preliminary

I see metaphysics as a definite study with a definite subject matter—whatever exists. This subject has been cast under skepticism because (1) the gap between knower and known must be overcome before any claims of knowing things-as-they-are can be justified and (2) the above subject matter has come under science which is not perfect knowledge but which it, it has been argued, is the only knowledge.

Now the gap in (1) above is bridged in some cases. For example when I do not know ‘what is there’ I do know that something is there—even if it is only illusion. However this does not say much and therefore it seems that we may still be left with science as the only valid and useful knowledge of significance.

In narratives in the site http://www.horizons-2000.org I have shown much more than that we know that there is illusion—that there is a ‘real world’ as an object of knowledge and that starting from this point an entire and powerful metaphysics can be built up. This metaphysics is immensely powerful as foundation of knowledge and in showing the universe to be ultimate in the sense of variety. Further this ‘universal metaphysics’ is a container for all past, present, and future valid science. It is the envelope of all science.

Here we want metaphysics to be more than a discipline of knowledge. We want it to tie in to human life, to show our connection to the universe; and we want these connections to be shown in their experiential and active senses. The latter include goals and ambitions and what makes for reasonable goals and ambitions and how to achieve them.

Delineating an adequate system of concepts is not easy and this piece is a start. The purpose here is to show how the concepts and their system that follow are essential. Other narratives at http://www.horizons-2000.org are cleaner with respect to concept development.

Aim

What constitutes an adequate and minimal system of concepts for metaphysics and its foundation? How may the previous question be answered?

Approach

The issues raised above arise in developing a metaphysics. Answers occur incrementally in interaction with each other and the development. Here I will use my involvement with development of a metaphysics to state right away some criteria that a system of essential concepts for metaphysics and cosmology should satisfy:

1.       The concepts shall refer only to what is there and to all of what is there. It is not necessary to include all detail but (a) the whole should be included in outline and / or principle and (b) we aim to maximize detail.

2.       The abstraction of the previous item is good for neutrality of perspective helps avoid error associated with bias. However, it is also important to tie the metaphysics into our lives and goals.

3.       The question of justifying what we develop shall not lie outside the development. The sciences study certain aspects of the universe; science as a whole is generally concerned with the empirical universe; therefore the method of science need not be a discipline within science. However, metaphysics concerns the whole which includes knowledge and action and therefore their ‘methods’ and justifications.

The concepts

Being

BEING is what is there.

In some uses, ‘being’ would undermine our purpose; this sense of being however is neutral and fundamental as follows:

Even if we do not know what is there we know that there is something and Being captures this. From the outset we know, therefore, that our basic category is sound.

Thus understanding based in Being is not potentially misleading as are systems based in matter, mind, process, spirit and so on.

Further, ‘what is there’ includes the tie in to our lives; it includes ‘method’.

That does not tell us much but it does inform us that the categories we desire are included and not excluded as in some abstract approaches.

However, this is not enough—we want our study to be useful.

It turns out that Being is a natural foundation for a study of immense power.

The power is surprising at first but on reflection we can see that if we had a little more insight we might have expected it.

Finally ‘Being’ is instrumental to use in human life—as container to ‘presence to the world’ and as container for our goals and ambitions and whatever transformations we and our worlds may undergo.

Experience

EXPERIENCE is awareness.

Understood with sufficient clarity experience is the place and base of human tie in to self, other, world, and knowledge.

Understood with sufficient breadth it is container for meaning and method.

Meaning and method

We have experience of the world—of things in the world which include things and experiences (experiences are special kinds of things).

Thus experience is a kind of relationship—between a ‘concept’ (mental content) and object; i.e. it includes the relationship that constitutes (linguistic type) MEANING.

It is within this experience that meaning is revisable.

Thus all knowledge and its method lie within experience.

It has been claimed that analysis of meaning is the source of knowledge. This claim has been properly refuted for while analysis is useful it can only illuminate what we already know. However when we allow synthesis of meaning we find that there is nothing more.

The METHOD or way of development of knowledge is (iterative) ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF MEANING.

Science, Logic, and realism

In this section ‘concept’ refers to concepts that purport to refer to objects or states of affairs. A percept is a simple concept—i.e. single states (the distinction is easily seen arbitrary though useful).

A fact is a reading of a state of affairs. The immanent state is the FACT.

A law is a reading of a pattern. The immanent pattern is the LAW.

A law (theory) of SCIENCE is a concept projected over facts and other laws (over percepts and concepts). This is the traditional science as working universal hypothesis interpretation; as universal hypothesis science remains potentially revisable till such time as shown final; but since empirical niches can hardly ever be ruled out (as far as we know today) we cannot anticipate such a final time. Here I use a non-traditional interpretation: scientific theory as fact over a limited domain. In the latter interpretation scientific theories are not revised; however they are not universal. In the metaphysical development of http://www.horizons-2000.org it is shown that universal empirical science is impossible for limited forms of being. Thus the non-traditional interpretation involves gain in facticity but no loss in universality.

The distinction between fact and law (Fact and Law) is arbitrary.

The concept of LOGIC is as the following REALISM: it is the constraint on perceptual and compound concepts (that purport to refer to states of affairs) for realism and is occasioned by the freedom of concepts to disagree with one another, i.e. to violate fact and relations of realism among one another. Satisfaction of Logic is not of Being but a constraint on concepts for realism. Thus Logic includes science and traditional LOGICS or systems of deduction.

The method of science is by inference that is not necessary; logic however involves deduction. It would seem therefore that the grouping together of science and traditional logics is illicit. However the traditional comparison of the method of science with the application of logic is not appropriate. What should be compared is (a) the method of arriving at scientific theories and the way of arriving at systems of logic and / or (b) the application of science and the application of logic. The former kind of inference is ‘inductive’ and the latter is deductive.

Finally and importantly, Laws and Facts have Being for they are there (in the world and not merely in hypothesis or in some vague ideal space).

Limits

The constraints of Logic are restrictions on freedom of concepts for realism. They do not constitute limits on the world. They are in fact not of the world; Logic is not of the world as monadic; rather Logic is dyadic.

A LIMIT is a state that the world does not assume. A limit would be a constraint on concepts for realism over and above the constraints of Logic. In this Laws and Limits are the same but only different in perspective.

Universe

The UNIVERSE is all Being.

The present conception of Universe (unlike the physical or empirical universe) is definite. Use of Being and clarity already show power.

A further example of power. The Universe contains all creators and creation. If ‘CREATOR’ refers to an external power or agent then there can be none since the Universe is all Being (though not always specified ‘creator’ is usually understood to be external to creation). The Universe has no external creator.

Void

The VOID is the absence of Being.

As complement to any element of Being relative to itself, the Void exists and may be seen as part to every element of Being including the Universe. This is pivotal but would not be true of, say, the traditional or quantum vacuums.

Metaphysics

The developments starting with Being as what is there have been metaphysical in that the concept is perfect to the object. Here the power of this metaphysics begins to emerge.

Despite centuries of skepticism, we can now restore METAPHYSICS to an original meaning—the study of being as being.

Being, experience, Universe, and Void are known perfectly on account of their conceptions. It is not said, e.g., that the entire Universe is known in all detail. However as All Being it is known.

The Void has no Laws (it is the absence of Being).

If from the Void there is a state that does not emerge that would be a Law of the Void. Therefore every state emerges from the Void.

Therefore, in this sense, the Void has no limits.

However, since the Void is part of every element of Being including the Universe, all elements of Being are limitless.

Universal Metaphysics, the Normal, Power

Every element of Being is limitless.

This is the FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF METAPHYSICS which is the founding principle of a UNIVERSAL METAPHYSICS. It includes that the Universe has no limits.

The Normal

This seems to contradict our experience. I am an element of Being but my power seems limited. Such limits are probably part of temporary constitutions. They are NORMAL rather than absolute.

Power

Power is not essential but is convenient to and appealing way to express absence of limits.

If POWER is degree of limitlessness, the Universe is ultimate power.

Realism

But what does this mean? I.e. what can we do with it in instrumental terms. If the elements of Being have no limits surely every concept except the impossible concepts are realized?

However, we know that the sciences and logics are approximations (in general). Now, however, from limitlessness, we can reconceive Logic as the condition of an ultimate realism.

I.e., Logic is the most permissive realism for concepts to have objects. Now, conceiving, REALISM as the most permissive realism:

Logic is Realism.

The object of Logic is the Universe in all its detail.

This object may be called the LOGOS.

The objects of Logic and of Realism are the same.

Thus Logic is immense and immense portions of it await discovery. It is potent for the valid sciences and logics lie under it.

Equipotence

However, every element of Being is also ultimate in power. The elements of Being are EQUIPOTENT.

There is an apparent paradox. If two elements of Being are ultimate each can overpower the other. The resolution is that while in limited form there is no overpowering of each other; in unlimited form the different elements merge as one—as a single Identity.

Sameness

One of our most elementary notions is that of sameness.

The (sense of) SAMENESS is a fundamental given.

Now sameness and difference are duals; each requires the other. Thus difference is also a fundamental given.

Identity

IDENTITY is (sense) of sameness.

From the fundamental principle, sameness and identity require no further foundation (in fact the principle founds and unifies the entire theory of objects—concrete and abstract; see http://www.horizons-2000.org).

The following conclusions follow from the fundamental principle:

The Universe has phases of acute, diffuse, and absent Identity and manifestation.

The individual realizes these forms.

Extension and duration

The notions are defined as follows: DURATION is marked by difference for a given identity; EXTENSION is marked by different identities.

The boundary between difference associated with one identity versus different identities is not precise.

Now TIME and SPACE are coordinate measures of duration and extension, respectively.

From the absence of a precise boundary between one versus different identities, the distinctions between duration and extension and duration and between time and space are also imprecise.

It is hard, however, to see that there are further kinds coordinates of difference.

From the concept of Being and Universe, extension and duration have Being and are in the Universe. They are therefore immanent in Being and must be RELATIVE rather than ABSOLUTE; i.e. they are not something apart from or outside Being as a whole. Locally, however, they may be as-if absolute.

Attributes

An ATTRIBUTE is an aspect of identity that changes but is not a coordinate of difference. Thus color of an object may change and so color may associate to duration does not (in this case) mark something other than duration; color may differ among different objects and so associate to extension but does not (in this case) mark something outside extension.

Cosmology

COSMOLOGY is the study of Identity, variety, extension, and duration of Being.

From the fundamental principle there is no limit to the extension, duration, variety, summit-peak, and dissolution of the manifestation and identity of Being.

The variety of physical type laws is without limit. Every physical type law, every cosmos is repeated without limit; this of course includes minor variations which do not require special mention; all this is subject to the Realism also known as Logic and which is the most liberal and true Realism.

The individual realizes the above. While in limited form however the approach to ultimate power is a journey without end.

Modes of transformation or ‘becoming’

We have seen that there is experience of experience, experience of self, and experience of world.

Experience is relationship. What of pure experience? At http://www.horizons-2000.org it is shown that pure experience is internal relationship.

Experience is receptive and active or afferent and efferent; and active experience is projection of upon the world as well as an essential element of action.

The modes of becoming are IDEAS and ACTION.

Vehicle and discipline

From the fundamental principle every atom is a cosmos, every cosmos an atom.

Thus ‘individual’ and ‘group’ are relative terms; however the distinction between them is not.

Whereas CIVILIZATION refers to human culture and community over time and continents, CIVILIZATION is the matrix of civilizations across the Universe.

Civilization nurtures the individual; the individual fosters civilization.

The vehicles of realization are civilization and the individual.

Civilizations provides disciplines—inherited learning; there are also disciplines of discipline, e.g. the scientific method.

From the fundamental principle there is no ultimate discipline. At the front, the ultimate resource is a decision to take the next step.

Sharing is significant. Thus there are TEACHERS but no perfect MASTERS.

Place

The places of realization are the ground and fabric of our world—the primitive (ground), i.e. NATURE and civilization—SOCIETY, CULTURE, the fabric.

Nature, society and culture, and ideas and artifact (of civilization) are MEDIATE POWERS on the way to the ultimate.

Mechanics

The ultimate is potential but not immanent in limited form.

Therefore realization must be a series of steps or increments that are risks in ideas and transformation and whose sources are the disciplines together with experiment; and that are secured in experience, recollection, and artifact.

This MECHANICS or method is ANALYSIS AND SYNTHESIS OF BEING.

Journey

Realization for limited form is endless—it is limitless in duration, extension, variety peaks… it is a JOURNEY in Being.

A list of the concepts

The concepts are listed in the order of occurrence.

Being, Experience, meaning, method, analysis and synthesis of meaning, Fact, Law, science, Logic, realism, logics, limit, Universe, creator, Void, metaphysics, fundamental principle of metaphysics, Universal Metaphysics, normal, power, Realism, Logos, equipotent, sameness, Identity, duration, extension, time, space, relative, absolute, attribute, Cosmology, ideas, action, civilization, Civilization, teachers, masters, nature, society, culture, mediate powers, mechanics, analysis and synthesis of Being, journey.