Public Conversation 1

F: You are hearing Me through the Holy Spirit, it is He who binds us together. Just as the Spirit binds Me and Christ. This I speak to you, and you write it down, for the sake of understanding. Now write impersonally what I shall speak to you without language. Do not fear of mispresenting Me, I shall respond to you when you are done, and enlighten you further.

I: What shall be the first topic of metaphysics? For there are many problems and topics in metaphysics. Of course the prime topic of metaphysics is God. However, God is derived from earlier and more accessible points of understanding. The first point of understanding or knowledge is not being, but experience, from which we derive being at the same time, but in a sequential manner. This is called instant sequence.

I: There are several problems of metaphysics, that is the problem of existence, the problem of experience, the problem of change, and finally the problem of God.

F: Depending on the system of language, you may want to mention the problem of being. Then you wish to examine the problem of goodness, and finally the problem of causation.

I: The problem of metaphysical language concerns with the language of metaphysics itself, and related to that is the problem of logic or reasoning. Logic is about the regulation of thought, which is closely related to the problem of truth. The study of logic itself is non-ethical, but simply distinguishes between thought which leads to truth and thought which leads to falsehood. It is ethics which gives value to the truth and thus to certain modes of thought or ways of thinking.

I: The correct way of thinking is primarily concerned with justification. Justification is how an idea is supported, either by another idea or by a source of justification, that is experience. Experience is the source of justification as we all obtain our ideas from experience. However, as of empiricism, there is a rule of experience. That rule is that an experience is valid if it is collective. Collective experience means that the experience is experienced not just by the subject but also by other experience capable beings and that those beings can show that they do experience the experience, usually by testimony.

I: However, if we do not wish to make any assumptions, then truly there is no real rule on justification by experience. We simply know that ideas come from experiences. Then, there is the fact that ideas themselves are experiences, simply in a lower intensity than common experiences. However, ideas are treated as objects experienced, so these objects contain other higher objects. In any case, the rule remains that ideas come from experiences.

I: So what kind of experience we have will determine what kind of ideas we have, and as that motivates the change of experience, it will determine what next experiences we will have.

I: The idea of being is intuited, meaning it is not exactly derived from experience. Experience tells us of experience and nothing else. However, the whole experience of experience leads to the word “existence” or “being” to refer to the truth of experience. Truth meaning that the experience is truly experienced. In another way, it is meant that the thereness of experience is referred to as existence. This is differentiated from non-experience, or the lack or absence of experience. When an experience is remembered but contradicts the full experience, then we must divide between that condition of experience and non-experience.

I: The condition of experience is then described as existence while the condition of non-experience is rightfully called non-existence. Now the only reason we can even talk about this division is because of intellect. The intellect allows us to have more kinds of experiences than just the direct experience. This does make things more complicated.

I: So to wrap up, existence is the condition of experience, while non-existence is the condition of non-experience. Now assuming the union of existence and experience, which becomes being simply put.

I: Experience is what we experience. Existence refers to the thereness of experience. Notes on the contingent necessity of experience, thus the imaginary separation of existence and experience, and thus the distinction between the 2.

I: There can be no real separation between existence and experience in any reality with experience. Therefore, contingent necessary union.

I: For there to be a real separation between existence and experience, there must be no experience in the first place.

I: For that reason, there is a unified law of reality for both existence and experience.

I: A particular, or unit of existence is called an object or a being. However, the word “object” shall be used here.

I: From here on, we may construct a more complete model of reality considering that the problem of the relationship between existence and experience has been resolved.