Abstract

The ontology of differentiation proposes a novel metaphysical framework, positing differentiation as the primary ontological category, grounded in a pre-ontological condition termed Potentiality. Unlike substance-based ontologies, which struggle with change, or process-based ontologies, which risk instability, this approach views being as the result of differentiation—the act of distinction that enables manifestation. Key concepts include nodes (stable differentiations), space and time (emergent modalities), consciousness (reflexive differentiation), and the Game (open-ended differentiation). Distinct from Hegelian, Heideggerian, constructivist, object-oriented, and Buddhist philosophies, interdisciplinary applications in physics, biology, art, and ethics. This article outlines the framework, inviting exploration of the full argument in Ontology of Differentiation: Being, Consciousness, and the Game (2025).