The subject matter of such knowledge would be absolutely fundamental and concern everything in so far as it exists, or in the traditional phrase, Being qua Being. It is argued that the fundamental explanation of reality cannot take either a Theistic, or Spinozistic or empirical cosmological form. Instead, if we are to account for the contingent instantiation of Being itself then we must appeal to an impersonal purpose. That is, we must understand contingent existence as for the sake of some good. It is then argued that a purposive explanation of the sort required must appeal to a good which is fundamental, supreme, and hence, unimprovable.
Contingent being exists for the sake of such a good.
Various candidates to be just such a good are canvassed and rejected. But coming to understand the universal aspect of Being itself is indeed a fundamental and supreme good. Accordingly, contingent being exists for the sake of the coming to understanding of the universal aspect of Being itself. The remainder of the manuscript is concerned with a further verification of this speculation, by way of an articulation of the structure of Being itself. Copyright 2000, The American Philosophical Association.