Beyond Materialism & Idealism 3: The Unveiling of the Necessary

After exposing the contradictions of materialism and idealism, we arrive at a crucial crossroads. Both worldviews, despite their opposing stances, share a fundamental flaw: they are rooted in the concept of becoming—the notion that reality either comes into being or evolves through mental processes. The only consistent and coherent alternative is the recognition of being as necessary and eternal.

The Shared Contradiction: Becoming

Materialism and idealism approach reality from opposite perspectives. Materialism asserts that everything that exists is material and that existence itself is contingent—things come into being and eventually cease to exist. Idealism, in contrast, claims that reality is fundamentally mental or thought-based, with existence depending on consciousness or mind.

At first glance, these positions might seem irreconcilable, yet they share the same underlying error: both depend on the notion of becoming. Materialism insists that matter transforms, aggregates, and dissolves over time. Idealism suggests that reality evolves within thought or mind.

But is becoming truly an accurate description of reality? Does anything actually begin or cease to exist? A closer examination of these assumptions reveals a deeper philosophical inconsistency.

The Fallacy of Becoming

The idea of becoming assumes a dichotomy between being and non-being—things either exist or do not, and they can transition between these states. However, if we accept that something can move from non-existence to existence or vice versa, we encounter an immediate contradiction. How can something emerge from nothing, or vanish into nothingness?

Materialists often claim that science supports their view by showing how matter transforms, but science never describes matter coming into being from nothing or ceasing to exist. It details transformations—atoms rearrange, energy shifts forms—but at no point does science show creation from absolute nothingness or annihilation into non-being.

Similarly, idealists suggest that mind or thought shapes reality, yet thought cannot create being; it merely observes or interprets what already appears. Thought can never summon being from non-being—it can only witness what necessarily appears.

Both views fail because they overlook a crucial point: being does not come into existence; it simply is.

The Necessary Appearance of Being

The alternative, as philosopher Emanuele Severino argues, is the concept of necessary being. Reality is eternal—it neither begins nor ends. What exists appears necessarily and eternally; its existence is not contingent on material conditions or mental perception.

This notion of necessity means that what is cannot not be. Reality, in all its forms—whether matter, consciousness, or transformation—is eternally itself. There is no “creation” or “destruction” in absolute terms—only the appearance of change within an eternal structure.

This perspective resolves the contradictions of materialism and idealism. Being does not emerge or disappear; it is ever-present. What we call change is not a transformation of being itself but the necessary appearing and withdrawing of eternal entities within the structure of appearing.

Implications for Knowledge and Science

If being is necessary and eternal, our approach to knowledge must change. Science, which describes transformations rather than creation or annihilation, aligns more closely with this view than materialism admits. Scientific laws—such as the conservation of energy—implicitly recognize that matter and energy cannot simply come from nothing or vanish.

The pursuit of knowledge, then, is not about uncovering the origins or final states of things but about recognizing the necessary appearing of beings within the eternal structure of reality. Scientific inquiry, ethics, and human understanding must acknowledge that reality’s foundation is truth—unchanging and necessary.

Reconsidering Human Identity

One profound implication of this perspective is its effect on human identity. Materialism often portrays the self as a temporary byproduct of brain processes—a contingent result of evolutionary biology. Idealism might suggest the self is a mental construct, shaped by thought and experience.

But if being is necessary, human identity transcends contingent explanations. The self is not a fleeting result of material or mental processes; it is an eternal witness to the appearance of truth. Identity is constant—unchanging in its essence—even as different aspects of it appear and withdraw within the structure of appearing.

Recognizing this truth offers a powerful shift in how we view ourselves and our existence. We are not transient accidents caught in a web of material conditions or thought patterns. We are necessary beings, participants in the eternal unfolding of truth.

The Path Forward: Beyond Ideological Dualism

Materialism and idealism, while historically dominant, ultimately lead to dead ends because they rely on becoming. The consistent and unavoidable truth is that being is necessary, eternal, and unchanging in its essence.

This realization challenges us to rethink not only philosophy but science, ethics, and daily life. If reality’s foundation is necessity, then knowledge is a continuous unveiling of truth, ethics is the affirmation of this truth in our actions, and identity is the constant witness to being.

As we move beyond ideological dualism, we open ourselves to a deeper understanding of reality—one that does not depend on beliefs of creation or annihilation but accepts the eternal appearance of truth.