Identity & Meaning
“Before” the Big Bang there was the existence that we might call the “causeless cause”. Indeed, “before” becomes only relevant with the Big Bang or the creative moment, if you will, since time and space did not even exist until matter began to move.
Even if the Big Bang was not the first generative movement of spacetime and there were other universes that preceded it or that were or remain beyond our scope, then we would still be discussing a “big bang moment.” Either the physical universe is eternal – a direct contradiction of how spacetime defines itself through its very finitude; the physical universe comes from nothing at all – if not a logical impossibility certainly too improbable a theory to hang one’s hat on; or matter in motion comes from a non-physical and supernatural reality. This takes us back, once again, to the Big Bang and what existed before this event or what caused this event to take place?
So “In the beginning” there must be this eternal and non-physical being or infinite existence. This is a simplicity of being in that it is neither one nor many, but a singularity that contains the possibility of multiplicity – all possibility. It is only “zero” when compared to the physical universe, but it is really infinite or existence that is beyond the mathematical limitations of the physical universe. So, although this may be self-evident, it bears repeating, infinity and the non-corporeal is something beyond all mathematical computation. This reality is not one, but it is nothing in the physical sense and yet it is all possibility.
Without anything to reflect upon, this pure being is in a sort of dreamless sleep of unconsciousness. Without anything to contemplate it is thoughtless and absolute quiet. Without anything to compare or contrast itself to, it is indefinable. As Hegel has described, this state of being is Mind without consciousness or awareness. It is simply pure existence and potentiality. It is what we may term “essential existence”. Without movement and the matter of the physical universe it simply “is.”
The most important point to stress is that it is, despite its lack of physicality, thought, movement, consciousness or reflection it is “something.” It is being without definition, without boundaries and without limits. It is the infinite and eternal existence beyond the limitations of time or of space. It is beyond our perceptions and beyond the “universe” itself. Its potentiality contains all the potency that is and ever will be. Indeed, it is all powerful, yet at rest and exerting no power whatsoever, so it is purely potential potency.
So this invisible, non-corporal existence of physical nothingness is the eternal existence that was before there was “a universe”, before there was any thought, before there was identity and before there was consciousness.
What of meaning then? In a real sense then it seems that existence preceded any meaning. While thought, self-awareness and consciousness were not actualized and only potential, any meaning would be yet unrealized as well. In a real sense any meaning had to be discovered or realized as this existence became conscious and aware through thought and creation.
So we may consider whether meaning was somehow “embedded” as a potentiality in existence itself much like this purely supernatural existence was “pregnant” with physicality.
Once this existence becomes conscious and further aware of its own identity and its place in the cosmos, then this Being is in a position to discover or create what meaning there is. So we are considering whether we are dealing with an “absolute” existentialism or something more nuanced. This becomes a sort of philosopher’s “chicken or egg” inquiry that points to at least the possibility of meaning being embedded within eternal existence – thus our term “essential existence” or being pregnant with meaning if you will.
So this argument becomes really a matter of potentiality and inevitability. It seems that the only course available for essential existence is creation of the physical which brings about consciousness, self-awareness and eventually the discovery of this hidden meaning. To extend this argument then, existence must create meaning from its very existence just as it must create the manifestations of a physical “reality.”
Then there was light. This singular act of ultimate power was little more than the humble thought of the infinite Mind. This simple act of creation was the realization of all the potential of the essential existence of the psyche and with the Big Bang the creation of the physical and finite universe. Matter moved and the physical universe came into existence.
So now there was multiplicity. There was the creator and the created. There was God and non-god. There were related opposites and the possibility of definition, consciousness and identity. With creation and the first “thought” the psyche was able to actually “reflect” on what it was through the act of “seeing” what it was not. The shapeless and formerly undefinable could be recognized and “defined” by comparing and contrasting itself against the boundaries that defined the finitude. Now the infinite “mind” could reflect upon creation and come to the first truth or knowledge – that of self-awareness.
It thought and could reflect, “I think, therefore I am.” The psyche could see non-conscious existence and come to understand that it is not non-consciousness, but indeed consciousness.
The necessity of this dichotomy of being – the relationship between God the infinite and the finite physicality – provided the means for awareness and the realization that would follow. God could see and this sight allowed Him to know first of all the only real truth that is unquestionable and absolute – “I am” or God is.
So there was identity and God became aware of who He was. God understood what He was not – the creation or the physical universe. Certainly, this creation was His doing and in a real sense a part of Him, but it was also distinct and separate as well. There had to be dichotomy and opposites for there to be identity and awareness. To see what one is and know who one is, one must know what one is not. With the understanding of Himself and His place in this universe that He created there could follow understanding and the discovery of this “embedded meaning.”
When we begin to see and to know and to finally understand this essence of life, we can finally understand its very essentiality to existence. The peaceful sleep that proceeded thought and motion was forever gone so that the conscious being had to find value and quality to this life in its self-aware and actualized state or in the state of knowledge.
If meaning was a part of this primordial state of existence, then it was life itself or as the labors of our great thinkers and the revelations of our great mystics have taught us, it is the achievement of the “good life.”
Certainly, one could argue that meaning had to be constructed, but such an argument for pure existentialism would seem to be missing an important – an even essential – component of this primordial existence. Before time, there was existence with all potential – the potential of creation and thought or sight, of reflection and self-awareness or knowledge; and finally of fulfillment or self-actualization through the meaning that was there all the time and simply had to be discovered.
Life is and there are qualitative elements to this life. Formerly, there was the peaceful ignorance and the bliss of unconscious being and then there came thought and feelings. Feelings have qualitative value – there are both feelings that are good and feelings that are bad or feelings that lead to happiness and feelings that lead to suffering.
Meaning then was intrinsic to life and really entwined within existence itself – it only had to be realized through the value or the quality of this existence. So an embedded meaning or essence that is a part of this existence would be qualitative or a condition with value (the good life or a life filled with good feelings compared to a bad life or a life filled with bad feelings). This meaning, then, is the pursuit and the realization of happiness through self-discovery, actualization and fulfillment.
This meaning, really something that could have just as easily arose from absolute existentialism, paradoxically seems to have been something wrapped up in existence itself and simply is a qualitative value that is placed on existence.
This line of reasoning then provides a necessity of understanding what the good life is and how one can attain the good life through an evolutionary path to self-actualization and fulfillment.
The equations of metaphysical philosophy are of the simplest sort. In the beginning there was “essential existence” – the infinite and supernatural being in a state of restful innocence and peace without the physical universe. To the mathematician there was only “nothingness”.
With the Big Bang the psyche, through the creation of thought and the universe, had the means to see, feel, to know and to understand – there was light. He can know who He is in relation to this created universe and begin to understand true meaning. He could become actualized and realize all of the potential of the primordial essential existence. As the great legend of western history teaches – God labored for six days and on the seventh He found peace.
This post originally appeared on the Reveille website on June 2, 2017 and is part of the Why You Matter project.