On the nature of the metaphysical ultimate

Plausibly, the metaphysical ultimate, that is to say, the absolute ground of reality, is itself necessarily unconditioned. For if it would be conditioned it would in fact not truly be the metaphysical ultimate. It is also plausibly true that self-determination is impossible. Indeed, if something determines itself, then it is the cause of its own nature, which is clearly impossible, since nothing causes itself. Now, if self-determination is metaphysically impossible, it follows that everything that is determined is conditioned in some way. And from this we may infer that the metaphysical ultimate, being itself unconditioned, lacks determinateness. But then it follows that the metaphysical ultimate is not a definite determined entity. Instead, its nature is similar to something like mind or consciousness.