The content and format of the template are suggested rather than rigid. They follow a journey in being-outline.doc because that is the currently (2/20/2020) best developed for content-format.

To use the template for other essays, the headings will need to be altered and contents entered.

Layers

It is revealing to present a system as a set of layers of increasing detail. The process is enhanced if the presentation is visual. Here is an example from The Way of Being—

Motive

Search

The greatest universe

Path

Past, present and future are one.

Layers can be accomplished with tables of contents, frames, and nested collapsible blocks.html.

Headings and tables of contents

Headings may be up to any level. If tables of contents have many levels, e.g. four or more, there ought to be a brief and a long version.

The tables of contents may also be descriptive. This can be accomplished by having main points as a special style and the table of contents field also refer to that style.

Planning this document

This part will be temporary—documents may have a planning section while being written.

Preface: About the Publication and Publishing

Originality and contribution

Estimate of original and derivative content relative to received knowledge.

The intent of publication is to share and, since I believe it to have newness and significance, to make a contribution.

Newness of the text

Comment on new versus repeated presentation of original work—versus presentation of the work of others.

On text

Continuity in the literary stream

Ownership and writing text

Writing original work versus original revision of others’ work.

Notation

Prologue—A History of The Idea

Or—The History of an Idea

A personal endeavor

This may include my motives.

Personal motives are not distinct from and interact with the social and historical. Motives are also discussed in § The history of the idea. Perhaps the best place for discussion of motives is in discussing § On foundation and ground. Repetition should not be excessive.

Example—a search for meaning.

The history of the idea

In the beginning

The beginnings are historical and personal. The personal motive was discussed above in § A personal endeavor but may also be referred to here. Perhaps the best place for discussion of motives is in discussing § On foundation and ground. Repetition should not be excessive.

A history of the ideas

E.g. the history of the principle of plenitude. Other ideas are Being, metaphysics, and the ultimate

Precursors and sources

Brief discussion.

May refer to the resources section.

Introduction--About the Ideas

About the ideas

The aim.

The main concepts. Explanation of how they leverage the development.

How the work relates to common paradigms. Does it transcend them? How?

The method or methods employed.

Narrative essentials, flow, and outline

How the ideas are developed and how the flow in the narrative.

An outline or overview.

On the nature of the essay

See the corresponding section in a journey in being-outline.doc for the example with greater detail.

General commentary

Original versus derivative content is addressed in the preface—elaborate if needed.

Practical and / or theoretical orientation.

Par versus supersedence of received paradigms and knowledge.

Proof vs speculation; self consistency; consistency with (valid) knowledge so far.

Range and integration of ideas.

Doubt. Responses to doubt. Alternative attitudes to the ideas as certain.

Application.

Concept meanings

In new understanding, meanings must change.

It is essential to follow the new—definitions are given.

It may be helpful to defer integration with what is essential in the old.

System meaning

Meaning lies in the system of ideas, their relations, their analyses, and development of the system and consequences.

Following the formal development—and heuristic supplements—is the way to absorption to intuition.

About shared meaning

That meaning is normative, emergent, and immersive (i.e., also a function of community, sometimes called ‘use’) is a source of difficulty in precise definition of meaning.

Some effective objectivity may be found possible by (i) abstraction (ii) pragmatics.

It is the extremes of entire-total-objectivity and nothing but normativity that are problematic. Natural and formal languages constitute a whole that is framed by the real metaphysics which is pragmatic for many purposes but perfect for the universal purpose noted earlier.

Thoughts on reading the essay

See the corresponding section in a journey in being-outline.doc for the example with greater detail and for examples of aids to development of intuition of content as a whole.

The following thoughts may help understanding. They assume and build on the previous section.

Where the ideas are essentially new, readers should not expect to have received views confirmed.

Readers should follow meanings and definitions of the essay.

In a system of meaning, ‘net’ meaning is distributed among the individual terms. This is one reason for apparent indefiniteness in meanings—both in the literature and in this essay. Readers should strive to see that the essential meanings for the essay are to be found in some of the terms employed.

Since the net meaning lies in the system, the intuition of the system and its adjustment with received intuition will take time and reflection.

1 Foundation And main principles

From here through the numbered level 1 headings, The Way of Being serves as template.

On foundation and ground

Foundation

This is repetition from a journey in being.doc.

A foundation is a secure base for knowledge and action. In the example of The Way of Being, a foundation is sought for metaphysics and realization.

In the beginning individuals find themselves without mooring in the world (the situation for societies and cultures is similar). Then they discover the knowledge and ways of their culture, which is a source of confidence in facing the world. They may discover, in their culture, the notion of ‘foundation’ which is a secure base for knowledge.

But foundations may be incomplete, hypothetical, and in process. Incomplete because not all things are founded. Hypothetical because based in posits, e.g. substance (which appear non-relative). Or, in process because foundation is referred to another level (relative). Perhaps foundation may never be final.

In The Way of Being, the foundation is a mix of absolute and firm (non posit) as well as pragmatic and relative; which is found perfect for the ultimate purpose revealed by the system itself; and which gives meaning and purpose to the local (it does not of course solve ‘all problems’ even though it sheds light on the significance and meaning of those problems).

Ground

This is repetition from a journey in being.doc.

We do not begin with foundation. We do not begin with mooring. Where do we begin? That leads to a notion of ground.

There is no unique ground. It might be everyday life. It might be risk. It might be ‘in the middle’ of the process of knowledge.

In The Way of Being it is experience. And this is not arbitrary, for (i) it is via experience that the metaphysics of the way is grounded, (ii) as the essence of our Being, experience is the direct path to realization, and (iii) via the metaphysics it is the basis of the instrumental path.