The World and the Word

                                                           Nothingness and Reality

Only two basic elements of reality exist; that is, consciousness and the objects of consciousness, whether abstract or material. As Jean Paul Sartre so aptly wrote, "All consciousness is consciousness of something." In the absence of something of which consciousness can be conscious, then consciousness cannot exist because it has absolutely nothing of which it can be conscious. On the other hand, if something exists in the absence of consciousness, then that something cannot exist in reality because only consciousness can be aware of the difference between something and nothing. An unknown something may possess potential reality, but in the absence of consciousness, that something too remains equal to absolute nothingness.

Materialist philosophers believe that consciousness evolved within a wholly material universe. They imagine that somehow something and nothing became different from each other in the absence of consciousness. But when they use their imagination they forget that they have already used their consciousness in their imagination to differentiate between something and nothing in their imagined universe. If they truly imagined a nonconscious universe, they would have to withdraw their imagination. In such a case, if they were truly honest, they could but imagine a blank screen with no difference between something and nothing. But even if they imagined a blank screen, they must still differentiate between something, which is their consciousness, and nothing, which is the blank screen. They really must (non)imagine a universe nonconscious of absolutely nothing.

All of this put together simply means that consciousness happens to be the only power in the universe that can tell the difference between something and nothing. This means only consciousness can cause reality to exist. If consciousness of something and nothing is the basis of all reality, then absolutely everything of which consciousness happens to be conscious must be real, including the idea of nothing.

Reality can be divided into three basic categories. One, consciousness of the basic and irreducible elements of reality, similar to the periodic table. Two, consciousness of the ability to combine these always real, basic elements into true or false systems. True systems always prove to be creative and useful. False systems always equal nothing because they always prove to be empty and useless. Three, consciousness of the basic idea of nothing which is real because it proves itself to be useful to consciousness in several creative ways. The idea of nothing separates something, whether abstract or material, into its basic elements and constituent systems so that each one possesses a distinct identification. The idea of nothing can be used to exclude any ideas from any system which one may be in the process of creating. The idea of nothing can be used to identify falsity which always equals nothing which, in turn, indicates absolute nothingness.

The basic and irreducible elements of reality can be both abstract and material. For example, the basic idea and impression called "red" takes two different forms, as abstract in the mind and as it adheres to a material object. But since both forms prove to be useful to consciousness in creative ways, then both must be real. The same can be said of all basic ideas and impressions such as "hardness," "softness," "straight," or "round."

Consciousness can also combine the always real basic elements into true or false systems. True systems always prove to be useful and creative. Although false systems always comprise real, basic ideas, they also always prove to be useless in that they produce nothing. Some false systems, such as drug addiction, may produce temporary, intense pleasures, but eventually, they become destructive which tends toward nothingness. Throughout mankind's history, humans have increasingly produced ever more complex and useful systems. Humans have also invented many false systems and theories comprised of real ideas but which always prove to be useless in that they produce nothing. Humans always employ a useful system in that they always discard such false systems. For example, a false system such as a mistake in arithmetic always comprises real numbers and signs, but nevertheless, always proves to be useless and equal to nothing.