Rationale

Why this ontology matters

The rationale for this thesis is born from a critical void in our understanding. For centuries, ontology has oscillated between two unsatisfying poles: a monism that dissolves the vibrant plurality of the world into a featureless One, and a pluralism that fragments reality into a collection of isolated substances, leaving their profound interconnectedness a mystery. We have been trapped in a choice between a unity without difference or differences without unity. The Conference of Difference (CoD) thesis is proposed to resolve this ancient impasse.

Its significance is therefore foundational. It provides a coherent metaphysical framework that finally accounts for both the undeniable plurality of beings and their intricate, dynamic relatedness. It does not choose between the One and the Many; it reveals their co-dependence. The CoD is the invariant process that generates both. This is not merely an academic adjustment; it is a fundamental shift in perspective with profound practical implications.

By identifying the CoD as the universal constant, we gain a powerful diagnostic and generative tool. It offers a unified lens through which to view phenomena across all domains—from quantum physics to sociology, from biology to ethics. For the first time, we can analyze a corporation, an ecosystem and a philosophical argument using the same fundamental principle: how are differences being conferred, and is the conference of difference competitive or co-petitive? This moves philosophy from abstract speculation to a pragmatic discipline capable of informing real-world challenges.

The thesis’ ultimate significance lies in its transformative potential. It re-frames our very conception of agency and purpose. If existence is a conference of difference, then our role is not to compete or withdraw, but to co-petition skillfully. It provides an ontological foundation for ethics and governance models like Colocracy, where the goal is not to eliminate or divide along differences but to conference those differences creatively. It replaces a worldview of isolated competition with one of interdependent co-petition. In an era of global crises—from political polarization to ecological collapse—this shift from a metaphysics of division to one of mutuality is not just philosophically elegant; it is an ontological necessity for existence to adapt and transform. This thesis provides the foundational argument for that essential shift.

The Gospel of Being

by John Mackay

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