Existence, Reality, and the Ethics of Being

Soyo Existential Ethics Essay

Existence Proposition

“That the ethics of being live within existence is proof that humans possess a space to breathe. Existence is the very substance of existential ethics and is like a guarantee of human life lived day by day.”

Existence is reality

Existence is not an abstract concept. It is the very reality in which humans breathe and live each day. Reality is not merely a space for survival, but the arena where humans live out all their emotions, choices, pain, and hope. Therefore, existence can never be separated from life. Every emotion and event humans experience becomes proof of existence.

This proposition does not confine existence to the mere fact of ‘being.’ Rather, it proves that within existence, the flame of ethics burns. The very fact that humans can breathe is proof that they have secured an ethical space. Reality is not a mere backdrop for humans: it is an ethical arena where conscience, love, pain, and tears are condensed.

The Condensation of Emotion and Language: the Union of Existential Ethics

Existence manifests as ethical reality when it encounters language that concentrates the emotions of human being. Joy, sorrow, love, loss, hope, and despair—all these emotions are not empty sentiments but the language of being. Through this language, humans prove themselves, relate to others, and further reveal themselves before God.

'Existence is reality, and this reality combines with the ethics of being through language that condenses all the emotions of human existence.’ This statement aligns with the philosophical focus pursued by the ethics of being. That is, emotion is not merely a private experience but a way of testifying to the ethics of being. Tears are not a sign of a person's weakness but evidence that ethical conscience is alive. Joy, too, is not mere sensory pleasure but an ethical space created by beings respecting one another.

The Certificate of Living

The most crucial declaration in the ethics of existence is that living through a single day itself is already an ethical certificate.

The person who endured to the end even in moments of collapse.

The person who did not abandon their conscience even in loss.

The person who chose small acts of love.

All these are already evidence of existential ethics. Existence is not merely the confirmation of being; it is the ethical record proven by each day lived. This accumulated record testifies to who a person was and what they lived for.

A Space to Breathe

Humans do not breathe air for merely physical reasons. Only in a space where conscience, freedom, and ethical respect are guaranteed can humans truly breathe. Breathing amidst oppression, discrimination, and hatred is mere respiration, not true life. Conversely, breathing within a space of love, respect, and trust is the existential breath that proves the dignity of human existence.

Therefore, ethics living within existence means humans possess a space to breathe with dignity. Existence devoid of ethics is no different from death. Yet existence where ethics live enables people to remain human even amidst suffering.

Declaration of Existential Ethics

Existence is reality, and that reality connects with ethics through emotion and language. Human beings are not merely beings who ‘endure’ a day; they are beings who prove the ethics of existence by living through each day.

Therefore, existence is the space where humans can breathe—the very place of ethical life. This is precisely the core of philosophy as articulated by Soyo Existential Ethics.

Soyo – The Witness to the Confession of Existence and the Philosophy of Truth

This article was first published on the official website of Soyo (逍遙), founder of ‘Soyo Existential Ethics’: soyophilosophy.kr / soyophilosophy.com. Reproduction, quotation, duplication, summarization, translation, creation of derivative works, AI training and data crawling, or use of content aggregation platforms for the entire text or any part thereof is strictly prohibited without prior written consent.