Beyond Materialism & Idealism 4: The Implications of the Necessary—Reframing Thought and Existence

This series has exposed the contradictions at the core of two dominant worldviews: materialism and idealism. Both are entangled in the impossibility of becoming, whether through the assumption that matter arises and perishes or the belief that reality is dependent on thought. Both, in different ways, attempt to explain being through non-being—an assumption that collapses upon scrutiny.

The resolution is clear: being is necessary and eternal. This truth is not an abstract metaphysical claim but the foundation upon which all understanding must rest. It reshapes knowledge, science, ethics, identity, and existence itself. This final article explores the profound implications of recognizing necessity as the structure of reality.

Knowledge: From Contingency to Truth

Materialism treats knowledge as contingent—an evolutionary adaptation or a provisional interpretation of sensory input. Idealism often regards knowledge as mind-dependent, varying according to perception. In both cases, truth becomes something malleable, shifting with circumstances.

Yet, if being is necessary, then truth is not provisional but eternal. Knowledge is not about constructing temporary explanations but witnessing what necessarily is. Scientific laws, ethical principles, and philosophical insights do not fluctuate arbitrarily—they disclose aspects of the eternal structure of reality.

For science, this means recognizing that its discoveries are not just useful models but glimpses into an unchanging order. The conservation of energy, for instance, does not merely describe a physical process—it reveals that what is cannot be reduced to nothing. Scientific inquiry is not a search for origins or finalities but an unfolding recognition of the eternal.

For philosophy, this truth overturns relativism and skepticism. Thought is not a subjective construct but the site where reality necessarily appears. Philosophy’s task is not to question whether truth exists but to articulate its self-evident presence.

Ethics: Grounded in the Eternal

Materialism often leads to moral relativism: if all is contingent, then values are arbitrary, determined by social or biological forces. Idealism, by making ethics a function of mind, risks reducing moral truth to perception or consensus.

But if being is necessary, then ethics is not subjective or situational—it is grounded in what is eternally true. Justice, dignity, and the distinction between good and evil are not human constructs but expressions of necessity. Ethics, then, is not about preference or utility; it is the recognition of what aligns with the structure of reality.

Human action is ethical when it affirms being rather than denies it—when it acknowledges necessity rather than attempting to escape it. This overturns the nihilism and moral arbitrariness of the modern world, restoring a foundation where values are not invented but recognized.

Identity: Beyond Contingency

Materialism reduces identity to a temporary configuration of neurons, destined to dissolve. Idealism often treats it as a shifting construct, shaped by thoughts, emotions, and social narratives. Both views portray identity as unstable, something to be shaped or lost.

But necessity reveals identity as eternal and unchanging in its essence. The self is not a fleeting product of brain function or mental interpretation but a witness to the necessary appearing of truth. What we call personal transformation is not about becoming something new—it is the deepening recognition of what already is.

This understanding dissolves existential anxiety. Fear of meaninglessness, despair over impermanence, and uncertainty about selfhood vanish when we grasp that identity is not contingent but necessary. We do not come into or go out of existence; we eternally are.

Existence: Reframing Life and Death

Materialism sees death as the cessation of existence; idealism might view it as a transition in consciousness. Both perspectives assume discontinuity—a rupture in being.

Yet, in reality, death is not an end but the withdrawal of a being from appearance within the eternal structure of reality. What we call physical change does not alter the necessity of existence itself. Being does not pass away—it remains, even when it no longer appears.

This recognition dissolves the fear of death. Life is not a process moving toward an endpoint; it is the necessary unfolding of what is. Our existence is not defined by temporary physicality but by the eternal presence of being.

Implications for Human Progress and Society

The recognition of necessity reshapes every sphere of human thought.

• Science shifts from explaining origins and final states to understanding the eternal processes that structure reality.
• Politics and society move beyond relativistic policies toward governance rooted in truth rather than transient opinion.
• Art, literature, and culture cease to be expressions of uncertainty and despair and become affirmations of the eternal.
• Religion finds renewed meaning, not as evolving belief systems but as expressions of an unchanging truth that was always present.

A Call to Recognition

The collapse of materialism and idealism is not a crisis—it is an unveiling. The failure of these worldviews clears the way for a deeper understanding: being is necessary, and this necessity is the foundation of all knowledge, identity, and existence.

Humanity stands at a crossroads. Will we continue to pursue the impossible—the idea that being emerges from non-being and disappears into nothing? Or will we recognize the truth that reality necessarily is?

This truth demands a transformation of thought, science, ethics, and culture. It is not an alternative perspective—it is the only perspective that does not contradict itself. To witness reality as it eternally appears is not a choice but an inevitability.

The collapse of materialism is not an end. It is the beginning of the recognition of what was always there—the unwavering reality of necessity.