Beyond the Present: Open Questions in Existential Realism

Existential Realism (ER) is a recently proposed ontological framework that sharply distinguishes existence (actual, present being) from reality (a broader domain including non-present entities). ER was conceived to reconcile the intuitions of presentism (only the present exists) with eternalism (past and future are ontologically significant) in a two-tier view of time and being. This preprint surveys a range of open questions and forward-looking challenges that have emerged from the first generation of ER research. We chart key areas—metaphysics, physics, formal logic, phenomenology, cognitive science, and ethics—where ER’s framework invites further development. How does becoming (the passage from potential to actual) work in ER’s ontology? Can ER fully accommodate relativity and quantum physics without sacrificing its present-centric stance? What extensions to two-tier logic might capture phenomena like an open future or cross-temporal identity? How might ER engage with phenomenological accounts of time-consciousness or empirical findings about memory and anticipation in the brain? And what are the implications of ER for ethics, especially concerning our agency over time and responsibilities to future persons? Throughout, our tone is rigorous yet exploratory and humble: we outline problems and tensions rather than claim final answers. By mapping these open questions, we aim to stimulate interdisciplinary inquiry and guide the next stages of ER’s development.