Universalbeing

Universalbeing is a term used in philosophy and spirituality to denote a singular, all-encompassing ground of reality that underlies or constitutes all individual beings. It is often employed in debates about monism, pantheism, and panentheism, where it stands as the ultimate source or essence beyond diverse phenomena. The phrase can be used as a synonym for concepts such as Brahman in Advaita Vedanta, the Tao in Taoism, or God in monotheistic traditions, though it is not tied to any single tradition and is typically defined in context-appropriate ways.

Origin and usage: The construction of the term is straightforward in English, combining universal (all-encompassing) with being (existence). In contemporary discourse, it is used to express the idea that individual beings do not exhaust reality and that there is a more fundamental level of existence that unifies them.

Philosophical implications: Proponents may argue that universalbeing provides a framework for addressing the problem of universals, the nature of consciousness, and the relation between mind and world. Critics contend that the term is vague and lacks criteria for empirical inquiry, leading to ambiguous claims about ontology and epistemology.

Variants: Some writers distinguish between a personal deity and an impersonal ground of being; others equate universalbeing with universal consciousness or the substrate of all phenomena (substratum, ens), depending on terminological choices.

See also: Monism, Pantheism, Panentheism, Brahman, Tao, God, Ground of being, Ontology.