Tag: Nihilism
-
Post 43 – The Structure of Being: Its Unfolding from Parmenides to Severino
The history of Western thought is the history of the appearing of truth—an appearing that first manifested with Parmenides but remained incomplete, leading to millennia of nihilism before culminating in the necessity of its fuller recognition with Emanuele Severino. The unfolding of the structure of Being is not merely an intellectual progression but the necessary…
Written by
-
Understanding the Structure of Being – 6
The Misunderstanding of Nothingness: The Root of All Confusion At the foundation of nearly every misconception about reality—about time, causality, free will, and even meaning itself—lies a single, pervasive error: the belief in nothingness. The very idea that things can “come into being” or “cease to exist” is inseparable from the assumption that there is…
Written by
-
Understanding the Structure of Being – 4
The Fear of Nihilism: Is an Eternal Reality Meaningless? One of the most common reactions to the idea of an eternal, unchanging reality is the fear of nihilism—the belief that if everything is necessary and immutable, then life, existence, and even our individual actions might lack meaning. How can a world without change or progress…
Written by
-
Post 41 – Love and Providence: The Experience of the Eternal Within Time
From the perspective of the eternal, all that is has always been and will always be. There is no becoming, no contingency, no arbitrary will. The structure of being is necessity itself—an immutable relation where nothing is lost, and nothing truly changes. Yet, within time, we live as though choices are ours to make, as…
Written by
-
Post 40 – Nihilism, Mental Health Struggles, and the Role of Technology
Nihilism and the Rise of Mental Health Struggles In recent decades, mental health struggles—including depression, suicide, and substance abuse—have surged at an alarming rate. This rise in psychological distress is not an isolated phenomenon but a symptom of the existential crisis unleashed by postmodern relativism and nihilism. When objective truth is denied and meaning is…
Written by
-
Understanding the Structure of Being – 1
The Inescapable Belief in Becoming One of the most immediate and profound difficulties in understanding the Structure of Being is the deeply ingrained belief that things come into existence and pass away. This belief—what Emanuele Severino calls “becoming”—is not merely a theoretical assumption but a fundamental lens through which we perceive reality. We do not…
Written by
-
Understanding the Structure of Being: An Introduction
Many who first encounter the Structure of Being, as revealed in Emanuele Severino’s thought, find themselves facing profound difficulties—not because the truth is obscure, but because habitual ways of thinking resist it. The idea that being is eternal, that nothing truly comes into or goes out of existence, contradicts the deeply ingrained belief in becoming—the…
Written by
-
Post 39 – The Unfolding of Eternal Truth: NDEs, Relativity, and the Aporia of Nothingness
Introduction: Convergence of Phenomena and the Unfolding of Truth In recent decades, we’ve observed a remarkable convergence of phenomena pointing toward a deeper, universal truth: the eternal Structure of Being. Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), advancements in our understanding of relativity, and the philosophical resolution of the aporia of nothingness all suggest that something profound is unfolding…
Written by
-
Post 36 – Religion and the Necessity of Alienation: Toward a Unified Understanding of Reality
Introduction The empirical self, separated from its transcendental whole by the limitations of time, perceives itself as fragmented and alienated from its own totality. In this alienated state, it naturally seeks meaning and connection beyond itself, often turning to religious or mythical frameworks. These frameworks attempt to bridge the perceived gap between the empirical and…
Written by
-
Post 33 – The Structure of Being: The Necessity of What Is
The foundation of everything discussed in this blog was laid in the introduction and early posts. Readers who begin with later entries, without that groundwork, may find it difficult to grasp the frequently mentioned Structure of Being and its implications. While the explanation here is necessarily brief, I remind the reader that this blog is…
Written by
-
Introduction to the Series: NDEs and the Structure of Being
This series explores Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) through the lens of the eternal Structure of Being. While we have touched on this subject before, its depth and complexity warrant a more focused examination. Over eight weekly articles, we will move beyond conventional interpretations, analyzing NDEs in light of the necessity of Being. Often framed through religious,…
Written by
-
Post 32 – The Destiny of Technology: The Origins, History, and Future of Técnica
Introduction Technology (técnica) has become central to contemporary civilization, influencing every facet of human existence. However, when viewed through the lens of the Structure of Being, technology is not a product of progress but a manifestation of eternal necessity. What appears as an endless progression is simply the unfolding of what has always been determined…
Written by
-
Post 31 – The Unfolding of Thought: From Religious Meta-Narratives to Technological Devotion
Throughout history, humanity has shaped its understanding of existence through various grand narratives, each attempting to explain the nature of reality and the role of human beings within it. These narratives have evolved—from religious explanations rooted in an eternal divine order, to secular philosophies grounded in naturalism, to the nihilistic skepticism of the modern era.…
Written by
-
Post 30 – The Structure of Being and the Impossibility of Darwinian Evolution: A Philosophical Critique
Introduction Darwinian evolution, as understood in modern biology, explains the diversity of life through gradual transformation over time, driven by natural selection, random mutation, and adaptation. This scientific paradigm assumes that beings emerge, evolve, and give rise to new forms—a process rooted in the belief that reality unfolds through becoming. The Structure of Being radically…
Written by
-
Post 29 – The Great Myth of Becoming: The Central Illusion of Western Thought
While philosophy emerged from the desire to move beyond myth and provide more rational, logical explanations of reality, it is almost ironic that it inadvertently gave birth to what may be the greatest myth ever conceived: the belief in becoming—the notion that things come into existence and then fade away. Since the dawn of philosophy…
Written by
-
Post 27 – The Structure of Being on the Illusion of Dualism
Introduction The Structure of Being perspective challenges a series of dualisms that are often taken for granted. By questioning the very idea of becoming—that things emerge, change, and vanish—this view exposes a fundamental mistake in our understanding of time and existence. This mistaken view gives rise to several apparent dualisms: Moreover, these themes resonate with…
Written by
-
Post 24 – Consciousness After Death
Introduction: The Illusion of Nihilism Have you ever felt that everything is fleeting—that life, memories, and experiences inevitably slip away, lost to time? This sense of impermanence, often called the illusion of nihilism, makes it seem as if nothing truly lasts, as if existence itself is fragile and transient. But what if that perception is…
Written by
-
Post 22 – The Nature of Truth
Truth is fundamentally linked to eternity and the necessary being of all things. Every being, whether a thought, an object, a person, or a moment, is eternal, never truly coming into being or ceasing to exist. Yet, humans live under the illusion of becoming, mistakenly believing that things are born, change, and perish. This illusion,…
Written by
-
Post 21 – The Joy of Eternity: Death, Overcoming, and the Infinite Appearing of Destiny
Continuing from the previous post, we now explore the meaning of death and its connection to the infinite appearing of all that is (destiny). Beyond the Illusion of Becoming Humanity remains trapped in the illusion of becoming: the belief that things come into existence from nothing and vanish into nothing. This illusion generates fear, suffering,…
Written by
-
Post 20 – The Earth That Saves: The Overcoming of Nihilism
The concept of the “earth that saves” was introduced by philosopher Emanuele Severino, as discussed in the previous post. Building on that foundation, we now turn our attention to a deeper exploration of this idea. The “earth that saves” represents the realm where the truth of Being is fully revealed, transcending the nihilistic illusion of…
Written by
-
Post 19 – The Fallacy of Reshaping Reality: Understanding Necessity
A Dubious Proposition: The Fallacy of Reshaping Reality History is replete with well-intentioned efforts to reshape society (whether by spreading values, liberating the oppressed, or enforcing justice) that ultimately justified harm in the name of a “greater good.” This arises from a fundamental error: the belief that reality is flawed, malleable, and in need of…
Written by
-
Post 18 – A Person, Their Moments, and Eternity
The Eternal Nature of Moments and the Illusion of Becoming According to the “Original Structure,” every moment is eternal. No moment arises from nothing or vanishes into nothing to make way for the next, as a nihilistic perspective assumes. In this view, a person is the totality of all their eternal moments. But how is…
Written by
-
Post 17 – The Infinite Whole: Understanding Love, Suffering, and Reality
The Impersonal and the Personal When we analyze the nature of Being, we find that it is an unchanging, eternal whole. Nothing truly comes into existence or disappears: everything simply is, necessarily and forever. This perspective may seem impersonal, but it does not deny the distinctions we perceive within existence. Rather than being random or…
Written by
-
Post 12 – The Empirical vs. Transcendental Self: Understanding Duality
Body and soul, flesh and spirit, empirical and transcendental—the list of dualities used to describe reality and the human condition is extensive. But does this dualism truly reflect reality? If it does, how do these two sides of existence relate to one another? Is this division a fundamental part of reality, or merely a framework…
Written by
-
Post 11 – Technological Nihilism on a Greek Chessboard
The Greek Chessboard and Western Thought As we’ve seen, nihilism is intrinsic to the foundation of Western thought. Often referred to as the “Greek chessboard,” this foundation established the rules through which Western philosophy has engaged with reality, shaping the trajectory of its history. An obvious question arises: can this foundation be altered, allowing for…
Written by
-
Post 10 – Contemplating the Authentic Sense of Being
Describing the Authentic Sense of Being How may we describe the authentic sense of Being? It is not a “sense” in the conventional understanding of the term, yet sensing, feeling, knowing, and awareness are words often employed to gesture toward it. Here, language falters—words become mere symbols pointing to that which they cannot fully contain,…
Written by
-
Post 9 – Ethics, Morality, Love and Freedom
Ethics and Morality Beyond Nihilism Here’s a provocative question to start with: If everything is eternal and unchanging, does that mean reality is predetermined? At first glance, this might seem disheartening—almost as if our choices don’t matter. But in Post 4, we explored the concept of free will and arrived at an intriguing conclusion: our…
Written by
-
Post 8 – Eternal Being and the Illusion of Change: Eastern Insights and Nihilistic Paradoxes
The East“For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time.It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being.It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval.It is not slain when the body is slain.”— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 20 This verse from the Bhagavad Gita…
Written by
-
Post 7 – The Challenges of Evolutionary Mysticism: Beyond Nihilism
The Revival of Christian Mysticism Christian mysticism is experiencing a remarkable revival, expanding beyond monastic traditions and finding resonance among lay practitioners. This resurgence has been championed by figures like Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and others who have reinvigorated ancient practices such as contemplative prayer and meditation. These disciplines invite practitioners…
Written by
-
Post 6 – Rethinking Nihilism in Religious Thought
What Would Become of Our Systems of Thought? What would become of our various systems of thought if we were to remove from their core the nihilistic persuasion? To a certain extent, we have already explored that, but let us now get a bit more specific, perhaps starting with religion and spirituality. First, a brief…
Written by
It Is What It Is 