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THE ONE and THE MANY: an example of metaphysical prominence in

contradiction. By: Lance Allan Kair. January, 2011

If we begin with a mathematical expression that proposes to explain a feature of reality,

of our universe, we can follow the logic stemming from that knowledge into its negation.

This essay is a proof that shows

a) Our knowledge is assumed to present a truth about reality;
b) Such knowledge (truth) avoids contradicting itself through arguing itself into a
metaphysical proposition;
c) In that such knowledge is a metaphysical proposition, it allows for a revealing of
truth. The results (of both a and b) argue that the assertion of the inherent falsity of
metaphysical proposition (that is, that a „metaphysics‟ is automatically a falsehood)
argues an essential truth.
*

In physics, energy cannot be destroyed or produced, it can only change state.

This is to say, for matter and energy, proportions vary, but their total sum is 1 or 0.
Reality is capable of being be signified by the definition of totality:
- Where complimentary values of a whole are of a positive nature, as in percent,
the definition is 1.
- Where complimentary values are signified by positive and negative, the
definition is 0.

The totality of 1 corresponds with conventional faith.

The totality of 0 corresponds with the ironic.
Conventional faith asserts the positive as it denies the negative.

From here, it should be a simple step to understand humanity‟s preoccupation with the
metaphysical “one”.

We can be granted a glimpse of our situation through our products, taking analogy from
the movie “The Matrix”:

An example of the epitomic figure of conventional metaphysics, as to spiritual

enlightenment, can be understood as the character “Neo“, accounted for secular and
modern technological reality, as well as by extension, creation and the obsession with
„beginnings‟ and „ends‟.
In this movie, humanity is caught in a reality of its own making, trapped, as it
were, in an illusion created by the product of humanity‟s ingenuity: technology, the
“machines“. The polemical reality is unified at the end in a peace of oneness between
humanity and its creation. This peace is catalyzed by two „conscious‟ elements, one from
both the human (physical) reality, and one from the technological (virtual) reality: Neo
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and Smith. Such primary catalysts were instigated by subordinate factors, elements which
have a ‟greater‟ knowledge of reality than everyone else, the Oracle, and the Agents: they
have a knowledge of the whole reality (the physical and the virtual) but are incapable of
traversing the two sides: they can only effect reality from their respective sides.
“Everyone else” are the mediators of the whole reality, substantiating it through the
human‟s ignorance of and the machine‟s dedication to “the matrix”, each in their way
denying the other„s possibility. The analogy come complete when we find Neo as the
“one” who is capable of , not merely having some sort of conviction about how reality
should be, but, enacting such knowledge as part of his being: he comes to “know” that the
Matrix is an illusion and works to consolidate „the real reality„ that is the physical world.
Correspondently, Smith acts to consolidate the two ‟worlds‟ in virtual unity. The irony
comes full in that the disparate worlds (the physical and the virtual) are in actuality
“one”, as Neo, through his being “the One”, comes to be able to confidently approach the
physical technological monster ‟brain‟ (that he ‟sees‟ and can move among despite his
blindness) in all his frail physicality, but also within the Matrix, both of which are
ultimately a human creation. Smith, first cast in the process of the “knowing of the
Matrix”, as the primary antagonist representing the machines, is found to be a rogue
element, an element of self-deserving direction focused on power and virtual „world
domination‟ though his purpose is unfounded even in himself. When this rogue element,
which becomes detrimental to both the human and the machine worlds, is seen for what it
is, it is destroyed, and humanity may live with its creation (itself) in a, although
foreshadowed and uneasy, peace. All this occurs because of the sacrifice, and knowledge,
the faith of and for the “one”.

[Note: I do not wish to draw out this analogy too far, as I am sure there are many more
„philosophical‟ angles capable of being considered, and most probably are (as I think
there is a book about “the philosophy of the Matrix” -- which I have not read). I wish this
as an analogy, to hopefully orient the reader to a „considerate‟ attitude for my point.]

Enlightenment is the conventional attainment of “oneness”. Such oneness is attained

through an individual awakening, communal or social solidarity, or understanding of the
origins of the universe or reality (creation), or a synthesis of all three.

As conventional reality does not attend the negative (above), such enlightenment is not
true, but only true in faith.

Knowledge is the manifestation of consciousness concerning itself.

Consciousness is the human manifestation of life. Consciousness, as a unique human
manifestation of life, justifies itself through knowledge: consciousness is human
existence (as we know it). Justification is the impetus of life in humanity.

Knowledge is the working of human consciousness; it is the functioning of life in

humanity; it is not special. Intelligence is a human measure.
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Life asserts itself. This is a maxim of what can be known. It can be known as survival,
but survival is a human knowledge. It is enough to say that life is, or “life asserts itself”.

As human consciousness is a manifestation of life, consciousness likewise operates to

assert itself.

In this assertion of human consciousness, “self” consciousness occurs for the individual.
Self consciousness is the human aspect of life.
Knowledge is life within self consciousness.
Life, as a manifestation of the universe, cannot be known in itself. That is, life is; life
does what it does. It cannot be known.

The extent that life can be known is a human extent. The behavior of life within
humanity is to justify itself through knowledge: to justify human reality: Just as life
justifies itself by virtue of its being life, knowledge works in human consciousness.

The justification of human reality is a human justification, not a indicator of what life
may be. The universe is not indicated in or by human knowledge; the universe is only
known through human justification.

Within this justification, faith is operative. Faith is the impetus of life (justification)
behaving within human consciousness. Knowledge is the human manifestation of faith in
reality.

Faith and its correspondent object exist together only in nullification; knowledge of the
world is the behavior of life as human consciousness. There is only knowledge of the
world; an object that exists outside of knowledge, „in-itself‟, can not exist in known
human reality. Knowledge never achieves the object: the object is not life.

The object denies life. In this sense, only duality must exist, but not of knowledge. That
is, knowledge admits a necessity of life and the object. In this way, it might be said that
life “wishes” to become the object; that is, life, in human consciousness, works to justify
its object-ness through knowledge. A situating of reality in this way reveals that the
object is not death, but that the object is the „overcoming‟ of death; life and death are
correspondent and inherent. As life justifies itself by virtue of itself, death is the absence
of life. Life, as human knowledge, justifies itself not to death, but against death as an
equation. The object is not life, thus is not death.

Such an object is equivalent to “oneness”; that which grants life its justification via
human knowledge is the object: it validates human reality.

A world is justification of life, as human consciousness is an aspect of life. In the activity

of life as human consciousness, the justification of the world is the object.

The object in knowledge justifies consciousness: convention.

Life, as the subject of knowledge, justifies itself: irony.
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In that there may be one object, there may be many: the totality: “1”.
In that there may be life, there is „none‟: the totality: ‟0”.

Conventional faith is knowledge oriented toward the totality “1”.

Irony is knowledge oriented toward the totality: “0”

The ironic faith is the suspension of knowledge of the totality “1“, within the totality of
“0”, as well as the acceptance of the “0” through the “1”.

**

The preceding proposition argues the following:

Convention is the faith in the ability for knowledge to attain the object; we call this
positive knowledge.
Irony, as a polemical position, well explained by Hegel, is infinite negativity.

In the effort of convention the manifestation of knowledge denies itself, or, contradicts
itself in its activity. That is, as conventional knowledge presumes an attainment of the
object, it denies its limitation; the limitation is paradox and contradiction. Thus,
knowledge will not admit the nature of its own existence: it cannot be about a true world;
that is, its truth must be justification.

Yet, humanity, as the „origin‟ of knowledge, and thus the (its own) world, cannot itself
exist as the ironic given in the dialectical argument. Thus, by virtue of the ironic being
known, the conventional knowledge of the „truth‟ of the object must be a knowledge
based in a particular manner, a particular orientation upon the object, of reality: it must be
one of faith. The ironic likewise must be not merely of knowledge, but must be a type of
knowledge itself.

Hence, conventional knowledge and ironic knowledge are polemical orientations of

knowledge by which to justify humanity, and thus the world and reality. Yet, because
both orientations upon knowledge are themselves justifications and not a revealing of an
essential truth of the matter (reality), both are metaphysical assertions and are not true –
yet this must be true.