happenian

Happenian is a term used to describe a perspective or category that treats happenings—events, processes, and occurrences—as the foundational constituents of reality. The word is derived from happen, with the -ian suffix indicating a mode of thought or classification. The term is not widely standardized and appears primarily in speculative philosophy and certain science-fiction contexts, where authors contrast happenian ontology with substance-based or object-centered ontologies.

Definition: A happenian approach prioritizes events and their relations over enduring substances. It posits that what exists are interrelated happenings whose identities are defined by patterns of occurrence, causation, co-emergence, and temporal co-dependence. In this view, objects are understood as bundles or networks of processes rather than independent, unchanging entities. Time and causality are relational and context-dependent rather than linear or absolute.

Usage: In philosophical essays, happenian language is used to explore how reality could be understood if processes are primary. In fiction, a happenian universe emphasizes situational emergence and interconnected events over fixed objects, allowing narratives to focus on turning points and coincidences.

Criticism: Critics argue the term can be vague and empirically difficult to operationalize within current science. Some contend it risks dissolving identity and object permanence too readily.

See also: event ontology, process philosophy, metaphysics of becoming, speculative realism.