Post 14 – Understanding the Impossibility of Becoming

The Impossibility of becoming also deserves to be clarified. Though mentioned in many posts, the question of becoming has not been singularly addressed. This is what I was referring to in the introduction, when speaking of some things difficulty to understand, not because of their complexity, but because of the way we have been taught to think. In effect, it is a rather simple matter, but because it is counterintuitive to us we may struggle for some time before it becomes apparent.

So here we go with a clearer description of why the self evidence of being, as seen in the previous post, denies the possibility of becoming. It does so because becoming, as traditionally understood, implies a transition between Being and Not-Being. This transition is fundamentally contradictory and, therefore, impossible.

The Principle of Non-Contradiction

According to the principle of non-contradiction: Being is, and Not-Being is not. This principle states that it is impossible for something to both exist and not exist at the same time and in the same respect. If we accept this principle as absolute, then becoming—where something “comes into being” from Not-Being or “ceases to be” into Not-Being—is inherently contradictory.

• To say that something “becomes” assumes that it did not exist before (it came from Not-Being) or that it will cease to exist (it moves into Not-Being).
• However, Not-Being cannot exist by definition; it is the absolute negation of Being. Thus, to claim that Being can arise from or dissolve into Not-Being is to affirm what the principle of non-contradiction denies.

Eternality of Being

All Being is eternal and immutable because Being cannot “become” anything other than what it already is.

• If Being could change, this change would imply that something ceases to be what it was (a transition to Not-Being) or becomes what it was not (a transition from Not-Being).
• Yet, as Not-Being is an impossibility, such change is ruled out. Everything that exists—every entity, event, or phenomenon—exists eternally in its specific Being. It may appear to change from our limited perspective, but this is only a misinterpretation of reality.

The Misinterpretation of Becoming

“Becoming” is a misinterpretation rooted in human perception and thought.

• What we perceive as the “coming into being” or “passing away” of things is merely the unveiling or concealing of their eternal Being within the totality of existence.
• The misinterpretation of becoming arises because our minds impose a temporal, sequential framework onto reality. We interpret the appearance and disappearance of phenomena as evidence of becoming, but this interpretation fails to grasp the eternal, unchanging nature of Being.

Radical Ontological Implication

This radically challenges traditional Western metaphysics, which often assumes the reality of becoming. Philosophers like Heraclitus emphasize change and flux, while thinkers like Aristotle construct elaborate systems around the potentiality and actuality of beings. All such systems, however, are mistaken because they implicitly affirm the possibility of Not-Being.

Why Becoming Is an Error

The belief in becoming stems from a fundamental error—a failure to recognize the self-evidence of Being and the impossibility of Not-Being.

• Western philosophy, since its inception, has treated becoming as a fact of experience rather than questioning its logical coherence. This has led to the widespread acceptance of contradictions: that Being can “arise” from Not-Being or “pass away” into it.
• The self-evidence of Being excludes any transition to or from Not-Being.

Conclusion

The self-evidence of Being denies the possibility of becoming because becoming depends on the impossible: the existence of Not-Being. Being is eternal, immutable, and self-evident; it cannot emerge, transform, or disappear without violating the foundational principle of non-contradiction. What we perceive as change or becoming is merely the shifting of appearances within the eternal structure of Being.