Scope

A complete re-framing of ontology

The scope of this work is universal, aspiring to nothing less than a complete re-framing of ontology. Its argument traverses the entire spectrum of existence, from the foundational domains of the physical and the vital to the derived and meta-domains of the social, ethical, and epistemic. The book is structured to demonstrate the pervasive presence of the Conference of Difference (CoD) as the invariant pattern, $\{\Delta\}$, across these diverse layers.^[1] It will synthesize evidence from quantum field theory, biology, cognitive science, sociology, and mathematics, not as separate case studies, but as interconnected manifestations of the same core principle. The scope is therefore explicitly interdisciplinary, seeking to build bridges between siloed domains of knowledge by revealing their common ontological ground. Furthermore, the work extends into the practical, outlining how a CoD-informed perspective can reshape governance, conflict resolution, and technological design, moving from theory to praxis.

However, this ambitious scope is bounded by clear limitations. Firstly, this is a work of philosophical ontology, not a scientific theory. It provides a framework for interpretation and understanding, not a quantitative model that yields specific, testable predictions in the way a theory in physics does. It can predict the category of phenomena we should expect to see—relational adaptations, co-petitive dynamics—but not their precise outcomes or timelines. Its predictive power is directional and qualitative, not numerical.

Secondly, while the CoD is proposed as a universal constant, this work does not claim to provide an exhaustive account of every specific instance. The evidence presented is demonstrative, not comprehensive. The aim is to establish a compelling pattern of recurrence that makes the thesis plausible and powerful, trusting that specialists in countless fields will find their own confirmatory instances. The book lays the foundation and provides the lens; it does not pretend to scrutinize every grain of reality through it.

A third, crucial limitation concerns the is-ought distinction. The CoD describes what is—the fundamental process of existence. While it powerfully informs what ought to be by revealing that co-petition is a more robust and sustainable strategy than pure competition, it does not, in itself, generate a full moral code. It provides the metaphysical groundwork for an ethic of co-petitive adaptation, but the detailed ethical and legal structures must be built upon this foundation through human deliberation and choice.

Finally, the model's strength—its universality—is also a limitation in terms of falsifiability in the strict Popperian sense. A purported constant of all existence cannot be falsified by a single counter example within its domain, as the domain is all that exists. Its validation, therefore, lies not in a single experiment, but in its unparalleled coherence, its power to unify disparate phenomena, and its practical utility in solving problems that other models leave as intractable paradoxes. The ultimate test of the Conference of Difference is its capacity to make sense of our world, in all its complexity, more completely than any framework before it.

The Gospel of Being

by John Mackay

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