beinga

Beinga is a term used in philosophy of mind and speculative fiction to denote the intrinsic experiential mode of existence possessed by a sentient being. It is intended to capture what it feels like to exist from inside a perspective, beyond external properties, behaviors, or relationships. As a concept, beinga is not a measure of intelligence or life, but a facet of ontology that concerns the presence or absence of subjective experience.

Etymology: Beinga is a neologism formed from the English word "being" with the fictional suffix -a, reflecting usage in imagined or experimental languages within philosophical and science fiction contexts. The term is not standardized and appears primarily in discussions that contrast ontological status with phenomenological experience.

Theoretical use: In debates about consciousness and personhood, beinga is used to illustrate the difference between an entity's objective attributes and its subjective presence. Some authors differentiate minimal beinga (basic experiential presence) from reflective beinga (self-awareness of one’s own existence). Others treat beinga as a spectrum feature that may vary independently of physical or functional properties.

Applications: In fiction, beinga often informs worldbuilding and ethical considerations, such as when aliens, artificial intelligences, or non-human animals are assigned levels of beinga that influence rights, duties, or social status.

See also: Consciousness, Phenomenology, Ontology, Sentience, Philosophy of mind, Personhood.