beingsthrough

Beingsthrough is a neologism that describes a mode of experience or analysis in which existence or meaning is understood as a process that unfolds through time rather than a fixed state.

Etymology and origins: The term is a portmanteau of being and through, and it has appeared in informal philosophical writing in the 2010s and 2020s. It is not standardized or widely adopted within established disciplines, and its precise definition varies by author.

Philosophical context: In philosophy, beingsthrough is linked to process philosophy, phenomenology, and considerations of temporality. It contrasts with static or essentialist notions of being by emphasizing continuity, change, and path-dependence in how entities or meanings emerge.

Applications and usage: In literary theory, beingsthrough can be used to analyze narratives that foreground ongoing process rather than final outcomes. In cognitive science and psychology, it may describe experiential continuity across moments. In ethics, it can frame responsibility as something enacted through ongoing action and decision rather than a single, discrete act.

Illustrative examples: A character’s identity is depicted as evolving through a sequence of events rather than revealed at a single moment of insight. A systems analysis focuses on transitions and trajectories over time, rather than only on final states or endpoints.

Reception and criticism: As a relatively new and contested term, definitions of beingsthrough vary. Some critics argue that it risks obscuring specific mechanisms, while supporters say it highlights the temporal dimension of experience and becoming.

See also: process philosophy, becoming, phenomenology, time, flow.