Top-Down Learning Guide: Metaphysics through Instancology

Stage 1: The Apex – Instancology (范例哲学)

Core Texts:

On Paradigm (论范例) by Wade Y. Dong (English version if available)

Your own translation/notes (since you’ve worked on it already)

Goals:

Understand the four ontological layers:

AA (Absolutely Absolute)

RA (Relatively Absolute)

AR (Absolute Relative)

RR (Relative Relative)

Grasp what an Instance is: not a part of a whole, but a Whole in itself.

Learn the epistemological transition: WuXing (悟性) > Rationality > Experience

Learn the metaphysical division:

Macro-world = Accidental (AR, RR)

Micro-world = Necessary (RA)

Understand why Instancology ends philosophy as a discipline seeking the ground.

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Stage 2: RA-Level Thinkers – Hegel

Key Texts:

Phenomenology of Spirit

Science of Logic (mainly the Logic of Being and Essence)

Encyclopedia Logic (simpler and useful)

Goals:

Understand the dialectic as a method to reach unity through contradiction

See Hegel’s Absolute Spirit as an attempt to define RA (but not AA)

Observe the error: the Whole is assumed to emerge from development, not to precede it

Identify where representation limits the system

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Stage 3: RR-Level Thinkers with Glimpses of RA – Heidegger

Key Texts:

Being and Time

The Question Concerning Technology

Letter on Humanism

Goals:

Grasp Heidegger’s move from beings (RR) to Being (RA)

Understand Dasein as the “clearing” where Being shows itself (but not as AA)

Study how language limits access to the unspeakable

See how Heidegger circles around AA, but never reaches it because of ontological entanglement

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Stage 4: RR-Introspective Thinkers – Husserl

Key Texts:

Ideas I

Cartesian Meditations

The Crisis of European Sciences

Goals:

Learn how phenomenology tries to bracket the world

Understand intentionality as RR consciousness reaching toward AR

See how Husserl remains within RR and ego-structure

Observe how Instancology replaces bracketing with recognizing wholes as instances

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Stage 5: Supplementary Explorations

Optional Thinkers (for context or contrast):

Kant – For understanding the prior groundwork of Husserl and Hegel (RR-RA bridge)

Whitehead – For comparing his process metaphysics with Instancology’s instance-based ontology

Wittgenstein – For understanding language limits (especially Tractatus vs. PI) at RR level

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Visual Structure (Pyramid)

AA

         (Unspeakable Whole)

             ▲

         RA – Necessary

     (Laws, Logic, Time, Space)

             ▲

         AR – Nature

      (Humans, Life, Cosmos)

             ▲

         RR – Thought

 (Language, Logic, Ego, Tools)

  ──────────────

      Thinkers

  Heidegger Hegel Husserl

     ▲ ▲ ▲

   Being Dialectic Intentionality