Conference
as 'condition of bearing together'
Morphological Analysis
- Etymon: Latin cōnferēns: 'condition of bearing together'
- Morpheme breakdown: cōnferēns, from con- + ferō meaning 'bear together'.
Essential Definition
Conference is the condition of bearing together, a relational state in which elements of difference coexist in dynamic interaction, forming the foundational fabric of existence.
Semantic Context
- Conventional sense: The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views. (Note: Semantic drift from essential meaning)
- Essential meaning (my usage): condition of bearing together
Philosophical Significance
The definition posits relationality as the fundamental fabric of being, making the dynamic interplay of differences the primary condition for any existence. This shifts metaphysics from substance to relation, offering a unifying principle that bridges physics, biology, and consciousness. Consequently, it reframes reality itself as an active, sustained process of differentiation and integration, where to speak of it is to participate in its logic.
Usage in This Lexicon
When I use the word conference in my work, I mean exactly 'condition of bearing together'. This definition:
- Elevates Relationality: Positions relationship and interaction as primary ontological conditions, rather than isolated existence.
- Unifies Diverse Phenomena: Provides a single conceptual framework applicable across physical, biological, and metaphysical domains.
- Bridges Separation and Unity: Reconceptualizes apparent separation as a dynamic precursor to integrated coexistence.
- Grounds Emergence: Explains how complex systems arise from the integrated cooperation of simpler, differentiated components.
- Transcends Model-Dependence: Establishes a constitutive pattern of reality that persists regardless of the specific scientific or philosophical model used to describe phenomenon.
- Integrates Reality and Appearance: Dissolves hard distinctions (like noumenon/phenomenon) by showing both are products of relational definition.
- Reframes Genesis: Presents creation not as a singular past event, but as the continuous, foundational process of differential interaction.
- Affirms Dynamic Stability: Presents order (cosmic, ecological, conceptual) not as static, but as the sustained result of dynamic interplay.
- Offers Terminological Precision: Provides a potent, neutral term ('conference') to encapsulate a complex, foundational metaphysical mechanism.
- Encapsulates a Performative Principle: The definition itself becomes an instance of the reality it describes, creating a coherent, self-referential ontological model.
Related Terms
Sources
This definition follows morphological essentialism principles. See [[Methodology]] for details.