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Transcendence
Background
Transcendence is the aspect of a deity's nature and power that is completely independent of the material universe, beyond all known physical laws. This is contrasted with immanence, where a god is said to be fully present in the physical world and thus accessible to creatures in various ways. In religious experience, transcendence is a state of being that has overcome the limitations of physical existence, and by some definitions, has also become independent of it. This is typically manifested in prayer, rituals, meditation, psychedelics, and paranormal "visions".
It is affirmed in various religious traditions' concept of the divine, which contrasts with the notion of a god (or, the Absolute) that exists exclusively in the physical order (immanentism) or is indistinguishable from it (pantheism). Transcendence can be attributed to the divine not only in its being but also in its knowledge. Thus, a god may transcend both the universe and knowledge (is beyond the grasp of the human mind).
Although transcendence is defined as the opposite of immanence, the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Some theologians and metaphysicians of various religious traditions affirm that a god is both within and beyond the universe (panentheism); in it, but not of it; simultaneously pervading it and surpassing it.
Conditions
What this further means, is the conditions met for a character to reach the transcendent conditions put in the background section. This can include the following:
- They must be independent from material reality, this means they are far beyond physical reality and are not affected by anything done within it, essentially being completely unbound and beyond time, space, and all physical laws.
- They have to be beyond the understanding of the standard reality, which means one cannot measure or understand their true nature. People can form an idea of what they are but can never truly understand their true nature.
- They should be incomparable to anything else within the material reality they transcend. As they are far above everything within said material reality. The only exceptions would be if characters have weapons directly amped by said power sources in the transcendent planes, or direct amp from other transcendent beings.
Reality - Fiction Interaction
As we treat one with Reality - Fiction Interaction as transcendent in some cases, the ones that do meet the requirements would be the ones following the conditions above, otherwise they are assumed to be simply in another universe that's considered more "real" then another universe. An example is a user from the real world viewing another world as fiction just being from another universe where that world is fiction.
Differing Aspects of Transcendence in Philosohphy
In philosophy, transcendence is the basic ground concept from the word's literal meaning (from Latin), of climbing or going beyond, albeit with varying connotations in its different historical and cultural stages. It includes philosophies, systems, and approaches that describe the fundamental structures of being, not as an ontology (theory of being), but as the framework of emergence and validation of knowledge of being. These definitions are generally grounded in reason and empirical observation and seek to provide a framework for understanding the world that is not reliant on religious beliefs or supernatural forces. "Transcendental" is a word derived from the scholastic, designating the extra-categorical attributes of beings.
Essentially, a character being transcendent can have many different meanings across different cultures, philosophies, and systems. We will discuss what some of the philosophies that target transcendence contextually mean:
- Modern Philosophy: In modern philosophy, Immanuel Kant introduced a new term, transcendental, thus instituting a new, third meaning. In his theory of knowledge, this concept is concerned with the condition of the possibility of knowledge itself. He also opposed the term transcendental to the term transcendent, the latter meaning "that which goes beyond" (transcends) any possible knowledge of a human being. For him, transcendental meant knowledge about our cognitive faculty about how objects are possible a priori. "I call all knowledge transcendental if it is occupied, not with objects, but with the way that we can know objects even before we experience them." Therefore, metaphysics, as a fundamental and universal theory, turns out to be an epistemology. Transcendental philosophy, consequently, is not considered a traditional ontological form of metaphysics. Kant also equated transcendental with that which is "...in respect of the subject's faculty of cognition." Something is transcendental if it plays a role in the way in which the mind "constitutes" objects and makes it possible for us to experience them as objects in the first place. Ordinary knowledge is knowledge of objects; transcendental knowledge is knowledge of how we can experience those objects as objects. This is based on Kant's acceptance of David Hume's argument that certain general features of objects (e.g. persistence, causal relationships) cannot be derived from the sense impressions we have of them. Kant argues that the mind must contribute those features and make it possible for us to experience objects as objects. In the central part of his Critique of Pure Reason, the "Transcendental Deduction of the Categories", Kant argues for a deep interconnection between the ability to have consciousness of self and the ability to experience a world of objects. Through a process of synthesis, the mind generates both the structure of objects and their unity. A metaphilosophical question discussed by many Kantian scholars is what transcendental reflection is and how transcendental reflection is itself possible. Valentin Balanovskiy shows that this is a special instrument inherent in our consciousness, something by which individuals can distinguish themselves from any other objects of reality. For Kant, the "transcendent", as opposed to the "transcendental", is that which lies beyond what our faculty of knowledge can legitimately know. Hegel's counter-argument to Kant was that to know a boundary is also to be aware of what it bounds and as such what lies beyond it – in other words, to have already transcended it.
- Contemporary Phyilosophy: In phenomenology, the "transcendent" is that which transcends our own consciousness: that which is objective rather than only a phenomenon of consciousness. Noema is employed in phenomenology to refer to the terminus of an intention as given for consciousness. Jean-Paul Sartre also speaks of transcendence in his works. In Being and Nothingness, Sartre uses transcendence to describe the relation of the self to the object-oriented world, as well as our concrete relations with others. For Sartre, the for-itself is sometimes called a transcendence. Additionally if the other is viewed strictly as an object, much like any other object, then the other is, for the for-itself, a transcendence-transcended. When the for-itself grasps the other in the other world, and grasps the subjectivity that the other has, it is referred to as transcending transcendence. Thus, Sartre defines relations with others in terms of transcendence. Contemporary transcendental philosophy is developed by German philosopher Harald Holz with a holistic approach. Holz distanced transcendental philosophy from the convergence of neo-Kantianism. He critically discussed transcendental pragmatism and the relation between transcendental philosophy, neo-empiricism, and so-called postmodernism.
Differences
The philosophical and religious aspects of transcendence often differ, while one deals with physical power. To quote:
"Philosophical definitions of transcendence often emphasize the idea of going beyond or exceeding the limits of human experience and may focus on concepts such as rationality, consciousness, or the nature of reality. These definitions are generally grounded in reason and empirical observation and seek to provide a framework for understanding the world that is not reliant on religious beliefs or supernatural forces.
Religious definitions of transcendence, on the other hand, often emphasize the idea of connecting with something beyond the self or the material world and may focus on concepts such as God, the soul, or the afterlife. These definitions are often grounded in faith and revelation and may be seen as offering a way to access a higher or divine reality that cannot be directly observed or explained through reason alone.
While there may be some overlap between these two definitions of transcendence, they are ultimately grounded in different epistemological frameworks and ways of understanding the world.
Therefore, the scope derived from the philosophical definition of transcendence could contain the scope derived from the religious definition of transcendence, but not vice versa. This is because the philosophical definition of transcendence is broader and more abstract than the religious definition, which is more specific and focused on a particular faith or belief system." ~[1]
Application
- Partial Transcendence: This is for a broader idea of one that has transcended but isn't completely unbound by everything. On this scale, the character follows more of a philosophical transcendence than a religious one.
- Complete Transcendence: A character completely following the religious aspect of transcendence, in some cases having some of the philosophical aspect in there, in this state the character is beyond all forms, not being able to be properly explained by strength, this gives the possibility of giving them High 1-A if they meet the requirements on the Tiering System as Absolute Infinity' is linked to God in George Cantor's explanation of it, though this would need to be proven.
Potential Abilities Gained
- Enlightenment: In various ideologies of transcendence one gains full enlightenment of the world, gaining a form of Cosmic Intelligence or Omniscience.
- Reality Separation: As beings with this ability are beyond material reality, they are by proxy separated from it.
- Singular Existence: As a being fully transcendent from material reality, normally would not have alternate versions of themself.
Users
- YHVH (Megami Tensei): YHVH is completely transcendent of physical reality, residing in his own universe beyond it embodying infinity and being beyond it, being the very idea of the Abrahamic god.
- Lavos (Chrono Cross): Lavos resides in the darkness beyond time, a dimensionless void beyond the entire physical reality,
