Glossary of Key Terms in the Structure of Being

Appearing

The process by which something enters the field of experience or thought. This does not mean it begins to exist but rather that it is made manifest within the eternal order of Being. What appears is not created, and what disappears is not annihilated—it simply moves in and out of appearing.

Becoming

The belief that things come into existence and pass out of existence, which is impossible. Becoming implies that something emerges from nothing or vanishes into nothing, contradicting the eternal necessity of Being.

Contradiction

The impossibility of something both being and not being. Since Being is necessary and indestructible, any attempt to deny it leads to contradiction. Nihilism, in all its forms, ultimately collapses into contradiction.

Contingency

The idea that things could have been different or could cease to exist. Since all things exist eternally in their necessary order—appearing and disappearing but never ceasing to be—contingency is impossible.

Destiny

The necessary and eternal order of all beings, unfolding according to necessity. In Severino’s thought, destiny is not an external force shaping things but the inevitable recognition of the eternal structure of Being itself.

Eternal Order

The totality of all beings in their necessity. Every entity, moment, and thought exists eternally and necessarily in this unchangeable structure. The eternal order is not something imposed on Being but is identical with Being itself.

Illusion of Time

The mistaken belief that time creates and destroys things. In reality, time is the unfolding of the eternal, and what seems to pass away does not cease to be but simply withdraws from appearing.

Necessity

The absolute and inescapable nature of Being. Since all that is, is eternally what it is and cannot be otherwise, nothing is contingent; everything appears necessarily as it does.

Nihilism

The mistaken belief that things are subject to nothingness—that they can begin, change, or be destroyed. Nihilism, in this context, is not merely a denial of meaning but the deep-seated assumption that Being is subject to becoming.

Structure of Being

The fundamental truth that all things are eternally what they are and that nothing can truly change into something it was not. This structure underlies all reality and cannot be denied without contradiction.

Unfolding

The process by which the eternal structure of Being appears over time. This is not a process of becoming but rather the necessary manifestation of what already is. The unfolding of destiny is the realization of what has always been true.