Escaping the Maze of Contemporary Philosophy: From Ontological Noun Wars to Generative Process Ontology (Φ→G→S Framework)

Contemporary philosophy is marked by deep and persistent theoretical divisions: materialism versus idealism, modernism versus postmodernism, utilitarianism versus deontology, and humanism versus data-centric worldviews. These conflicts are typically treated as irreconcilable differences in metaphysical or ethical commitments. This paper proposes that such deadlocks arise not from incompatible doctrines, but from a shared ontological assumption: the treatment of reality as fundamentally composed of static entities (“Snapshots”). When reality is reinterpreted as a generative process structured through mediation and only secondarily stabilized into observable forms, many philosophical oppositions dissolve into differences of phase, density, or structural configuration within a single dynamic field. The paper introduces the Φ→G→S framework, a process-centered ontology in which: Φ (Generativity) denotes the primary layer of relational, dynamic becoming G (Structural Mediation) refers to the organizational patterns that shape generative flows S (Snapshots) are stabilized outcomes mistakenly treated as ontological foundations in traditional metaphysics Using this framework, the paper reinterprets: the mind–matter debate as phase differentiation within generativity the crisis of truth as a shift from static correspondence to event-based resonance ethical theory as the modulation of generative continuity rather than rule or outcome fixation AI-era human value debates as questions of generative participation rather than substrate identity This work proposes a transition from noun-based ontology to process-based ontology, offering a unifying philosophical foundation capable of integrating subjective experience, social structure, and cosmological interpretation. Series Context This paper is part of the broader Life-OS / It from Wave research program, which develops a generativity-centered philosophical and scientific framework spanning ontology, ethics, governance, and complex systems. Within the series, this work provides the meta-philosophical and ontological foundation for subsequent applications in: Ethics and Social Systems — where generativity is proposed as the primary criterion for evaluating institutions and governance structures AI and Technological Civilization — where generativity replaces performance metrics as the central axis of value and risk assessment Complex Systems and Ecology — where social, biological, and informational systems are treated as layered generative processes rather than collections of static entities Epistemology and Truth Theory — where truth is reconceived as resonance events rather than fixed correspondences While other papers in the series apply the Φ→G→S framework to domains such as organizational governance, demographic dynamics, AI feedback loops, and systemic collapse, the present paper establishes the philosophical groundwork by addressing the ontological assumptions underlying modern thought. Together, the series advances a transition from a Snapshot-centered civilization model to a Generativity-centered Life-OS paradigm. A) Core Philosophy & Ontology (Life-OS / Being = Generativity = Resonance) Life OS manifesto / “It from Wave” philosophy: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18106437 Ontology of Being as Generativity and Resonance: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18335967 The Light of Imperfection: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18344540 B) Quantum Foundations & Physical Formalization (It from Wave / Measurement Theory) A Sampling-Theoretic Reinterpretation of Quantum Uncertainty and Wave Function Collapse: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18004579 Observation as operational crystallization (resolving quantum paradoxes): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18220191 It from Wave: phase propagation as physical basis of information: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18256968 Ontological reconstruction of quasi-particles: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18140041 Envelopment over unification (recovering Einstein’s dream): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18244683 Sampling, Horizons, and Recurrence: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18364507 π paradox (relation-first information π): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18204829 C) Cosmology / Macro-Physics Applications (Wave-phase universe) Dark energy as a diffusive phase of a relational universe: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18081786 D) Ethics & Social Philosophy (Envelopment Ethics / Generativity-first Inclusion) Envelopment Ethics (generativity-first inclusion): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18256968 Enveloping the Free Will–Determinism Divide: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18287169 Rationality without transition: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18193256 E) Infosphere Pathology & KPI Trap (Measurement-induced crystallization) Over-immune infosphere: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18149385 KPI trap (over-optimization and meaning collapse): https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18264106 F) WGS / Generative Governance Implementation (Φ→G→S as design framework) The WGS Model: The Implementation of Generative Governance: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18308450 Envelopment Integration: Reuniting Ethics, Well-Being, and Value: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18332397 G) Resonant Social Systems (Management / Economics / Politics) Resonant management: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18162380 Resonant economics: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18162380 Resonant politics: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18180888 H) Civilizational Outcomes (Demography / Environment / Continuity crisis) Demographic decline & environmental crisis as ontological outcomes: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18197092 Population Onus as an Ontological Crisis: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18356710