UPTM #2 | Formulating a Unified Process-Based Natural Philosophy
UPTM #2 | Formulating a Unified Process-Based Natural Philosophy
Revisiting the Platonic & Aristotelian Roots of Science to a Recover A Premodern "Philosophy of Organism" Intuition
|| UPTM Table of Contents || Prelude | Part 1: 21st Century Paradigm | Part 2: Nature | Part 3: Man | Part 4: Bible | Part 5: Organic-Computational Theology | Part 6: Transcendental Ideals | Part 7: Re-Imagining Modernity | Full Research PDF
Revisiting the Platonic and Aristotelian Roots of Science Through A Modern Lens
2.1 A Scientific & Empirically-Backed Theory of Process
Let’s start with a recategorization of a modern language we are all familiar with: science. We begin our journey by revisiting the roots of Western science in Greek thought. Drawing inspiration from Plato and Aristotle, we seek to weave the diverse branches from contemporary science into a simple synthesized model.
Namely, we recategorize the domains of modern physics, chemistry and biology into an empirically-backed and symmetrical 7-stage process framework, drawn from Arthur Young’s book The Reflexive Universe.1
Summary schematic above. Quite the fell swoop, eh? Let’s keep this chart in the back of our minds - we’ll go through this in more detail for the rationale behind this particular set-up to evoke the intuition we’re looking.
For now, we’ll call out three core themes:2
Left Side of Arc - Involution: In the first four stages (Light, Nuclear Particles, Atoms, Molecules), the process of involution is characterized by the progressive embodiment and condensation of the primary potential of light into the increasingly constrained and deterministic structures of matter. Each stage introduces new constraints that limit the degrees of freedom available at the previous stage, culminating in the highly specialized and predictable behavior of molecules.
Nadir - The Turn: The Turn is a crucial stage, marking the transition from the arc of involution to the arc of evolution. It represents a pivotal shift in the direction of the process, from the progressive limitation and constraint of the fundamental freedom of light towards a new kind of freedom and creativity emerging in living systems. It is the freedom of a system to explore its own possibilities within the bounds of its constraints, to adapt and respond to its environment, and to participate in its own evolution.
Right Side of Arc - Evolution: In the last three stages (Plants, Animals, and Humans), the process of evolution is characterized by the progressive emergence and expansion of new forms of freedom and creativity from the constrained and deterministic structures of matter. Each stage introduces new degrees of freedom that transcend the limitations of the previous stage and greater levels of multiplicity and integrated wholeness, culminating in the highly adaptive and indeterminate behavior of self-aware beings.
2.2 Peeling Back the Onion: One More Layer of Detail
Each of these seven steps have their own Arc and “Turn,” with the below Grid providing a more detailed and comprehensiveness overview. A plethora of information and while we won’t go through these all now, it is worthwhile if you have time to pick up a copy of the Reflexive Universe.
Note the various themes by stage: (1) Potential (2) Binding (3) Identity (4) Combination (5) Growth (6) Mobility and (7) Consciousness. We will go through these with a tangible example to make this more intuitive later in the piece; the main theme here is the scale-invariance and consistency of our our involution-turn-evolution themes at various levels of the arc. Again, the core idea will be to get a sense of the overarching intuition: how freedom & constraint dynamics - and uncertainty - evolve throughout the lifecycle of the arc.
As a foreshadow to the next section, we will then use the free energy principle to provide a unifying mathematical framework for a science of this uncertainty.3
2.2.1 Left Side of Arc: Existential Involution
Light: Pure, undifferentiated light represents complete freedom and indeterminacy. It has 3 degrees of freedom (the ability to move in any direction in 3D space) and 0 constraints, symbolizing the realm of infinite potential, unconstrained by the limitations of matter and form - and arguably even time. Light is the fundamental quantum of action, the primary force in the universe.
Uncertainty Level: Max Uncertainty. No symmetry. The behavior of light is inherently unpredictable and probabilistic at the quantum level.
Nuclear particles: As light energy condenses and differentiates into sub- atomic particles like protons and electrons, the first constraints emerge. Nuclear particles have 2 degrees of freedom (spin and charge) and 1 constraint (they are bound by the strong nuclear force into protons and neutrons). The freedom and fluidity of pure light is limited by the formation of discrete particles with specific properties, whose interactions are governed by the laws of quantum mechanics.
Uncertainty Levels: Decreasing uncertainty. Bilateral symmetry. The behavior of subatomic particles becomes more predictable as they are constrained by the laws of quantum mechanics.
Atoms: This level is the periodic table of elements - the formation of atoms from protons, neutrons and electrons. Atoms have 1 degree of freedom (the number of electrons in their outer shell, determining their chemical properties) and 2 constraints (the strong and electromagnetic forces that bind the nucleus and electrons together). The freedom of subatomic particles is constrained by the laws of atomic physics, as electrons fall into quantized orbital shells.4
Uncertainty Levels: Further decreasing uncertainty. Radial symmetry. The behavior of atoms is largely predictable based on their electronic configuration and the laws of atomic physics.
Molecules: As atoms combine to form molecules, new constraints arise from the chemical bonds and intermolecular forces between atoms. Molecules have 0 degrees of freedom and 3 constraints (the number and type of atoms, the spatial arrangement of bonds, and the interactions between molecular structures). The freedom of individual atoms is subsumed by their participation in specific molecular geometries with de ned properties.
Uncertainty Levels: Minimum uncertainty. Complete symmetry. The behavior of molecules is highly predictable based on their structure and chemical properties.
2.2.2 The Turn
The pivotal “Turn” at the fourth stage represents a reversal of this trend as the self-organizational negentropy of molecules into living systems introduces a new form of freedom and indeterminacy. The emergence of life marks a shift from the “dominance of the deterministic” to the “dominance of the indeterministic,” as plants exhibit agency, growth, development, and re- production, even while still being constrained by their dependence on sunlight and rootedness in place. This is the core crux - the pivot point.
This new form of freedom is not the same as the fundamental indeterminacy of light at the first stage, but rather a higher-order freedom that emerges from the complex organization and interaction of constraints. It is the freedom of a system to explore its own possibilities within the bounds of its constraints, to adapt and respond to its environment, and to participate in its own evolution.
2.2.3 Right Side of Arc: Conscious Evolution
Plants: The self-organization of molecules into the complex living systems of plants marks a pivotal turn in the process from involution to evolution. Plants gain 1 degree of freedom (the ability to grow, develop and reproduce) while having 2 constraints (dependence on sunlight for photosynthesis and rootedness in place). The emergence of life introduces new possibilities for freedom, teleology, and creativity, even while still being constrained by the limitations of biological existence.
Uncertainty Levels: Increasing uncertainty. Radial symmetry. The behavior of living systems becomes less predictable as they exhibit agency, adaptation, and responsiveness to their environment
Animals: The development of specialized cells, tissues and organs enables the evolution of the animal kingdom, with increasing mobility and agency. An- imals have 2 degrees of freedom (locomotion through space and goal-directed behavior) and 1 constraint (dependence on other organisms for food and en- ergy). Animals exhibit an expanding repertoire of movements, perceptions, motivations and behaviors as they explore their environment, while still being bound by their biological drives and needs.
Uncertainty Levels: Further increasing uncertainty. Bilateral symmetry. The behavior of animals becomes even less predictable as they exhibit complex behaviors, learning, and decision-making in response to their environment.
Humans: The human mind represents the highest degree of freedom and escape from constraints in the process. Humans have 3 degrees of freedom and 0 constraints. The self-reflexive human consciousness has the capacity to transcend the constraints of its biological origins, manipulate symbols and ideas, leverage language for interspecies coordination, plan for the future, and intentionally shape its own destiny. The light of mind allows humans to achieve a “knowing” which mirrors the “unknowing” of the first stage, coming full circle to complete the arc.
Uncertainty Levels: Maximum uncertainty. No symmetry. The behavior of self-aware beings with free will is fundamentally unpredictable, mirroring the uncertainty of the quantum realm.
In summary, what we see through the arc is a process of evolution, one from unity to multiplicity, and another from multiplicity to re-integrated unity. Entities undergo cycles of existential involution and conscious evolution aimed at re-integrating their individuated particulars back into wider, re-integrated and more complex wholes. This provides us a nature-based, empirically-validated scale-invariance to involution- evolution movements we find throughout the arc.
For a comprehensive overview of Theory of Process, see here: Arthur Young’s Theory of Process Whitepaper
“History discloses two main tendencies in the course of events. One tendency is exemplified in the slow decay of physical nature. With stealthy inevitability, there is a degradation of energy. The sources of activity sink downward and downward. Their very matter wastes. The other tendency is exemplified by the yearly renewal of nature in the spring, and by the upward course of evolution.” - Alfred North Whitehead, The Function of Reason
2.3 Our Modern Scientific Vanguard: Morphology & Biological Intelligence
Can we bring this framework up to our present-day scientific vanguard?
Fascinatingly, this involution-evolution theme is also found in some of the latest modern cutting edge work done today in biological intelligence, namely the work coming out of the lab of Michael Levin, a professor and researcher at Tufts University focusing on understanding the biophysical mechanisms underlying morphogenesis, regeneration, and cognitive processes using a variety of model organisms.
Quoting from a recent interview conducted with author Michael Pollan in May 2024 in the context of the transformation process of a butterfly (which I also coincidentally used as an example at the end of my Cosmic Bayesian Inference piece):
“‘An hour-glass / bowtie where you’ve got intelligence on the left side that takes all the different experiences and generalizes and extracts to a compressed n-gram and then a creative intelligence part on the right side that has to re-inflate it to the current context is and figure out what that means is. But again the first way of telling the story assumes the information is passive and all the intelligence is in the hardware, what if the data itself is not passive, what if these are patterns, as we were just talking about, and patterns that are using the medium of the physical process from caterpillar to butterfly to perpetuate and transform themselves, and what if they are doing some niche construction to perpetuate and do better, since as a butterfly you have some advantages to do better? - Michael Levin
So what do we have here? We have: the “Left Side” that Levin refers to which “takes different experiences and generalizes them” is similar to Involution, the Left Side of our arc (2) the “compressed n-gram” is equivalent to the “Turn” and (3) the “Right Side” which “re-inflates it to the current context” is the Right side of our Arc, Evolution and (4) the patterns are the Transcendental Ideals which drive the process of complexification. Generally, this work seems to explore whether biological intelligence is imbued with Platonic forms.
This is an empirical example from as fresh-off-the-press as we can get on the very process we find in our overarching natural philosophy.
Notably, on the topic of intelligence - we’ll explore this in the following section but to provide a hint of how this all comes together between Nature & Man: we hypothesize that (1) perception-action loops we find in our latest understanding of the brain become micro-instantiations of these involution-evolution arcs we’ve outlined above (2) the process of complexification is mirrored via a more complex “generative model”. We’ll put a pin on this for now and visit this in further detail in the following section.
Reference #1: 1-minute clip of pertinent section of the conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxYgKahgKVXotR8xSP_XgUk0zfWroiLJtG
Reference #2: Full interview conducted with Michael Pollan below (May 2024)
2.4 A Specific Example: The Hydroid, Our Jellyfish-Like Friend
To get an intuitive sense of one full cycle of evolution, let’s provide a niche example in the animal kingdom of a hydroid, a plant-looking animal loosely related to a jelly fish. These hydroids are small, plant-like animals founds in marine environments, and they belong to the phylum Cnidaria, which includes jellyfish, obelias, and corals.
The evolution process is as follows:
Starts as one cell: The hydroid begins its life as a single fertilized egg, or zygote. This stage represents the initial potential and unity of the organism.
Becomes multicellular: The zygote undergoes cell division, forming a hollow ball of cells called a blastula. This stage signifies the first differentiation and increasing complexity.
Acquires a shape (Identity): The blastula develops into a free-swimming larva called a planula. The planula has a distinct shape and begins to establish its identity as a hydroid.
Fastens to the ocean floor: The planula settles onto a suitable substrate, such as a rock or shell, and attaches itself. This stage represents a self-limitation and the surrendering the freedom of random exploration which becomes the basis for true expansion.
Grows in plant-like fashion: The attached planula metamorphoses into a polyp, the sessile (fixed) stage of the hydroid. The polyp grows and forms a colony by budding o new polyps, creating a plant-like structure.
Flowers break off into mobile jellyfish: Some of the polyps in the colony develop into specialized reproductive structures called medusae. These “flowers” break o from the colony and become free-swimming, jellyfish-like individuals.
Fertilization: The medusae release eggs and sperm into the water, lead- ing to fertilization and the formation of new zygotes, thus completing the cycle and beginning a new process.
This hydroid example showcases how a seemingly simple organism goes through a series of transformations, each stage building upon the previous one and con- tributing to the overall process of its life cycle. This process then self-instantiates and a new process begins.
Note this is the same lifecycle as a human embryo, in which the fertilized egg, having become a free-swimming multicellular organism (blastocyst) attaches itself to the wall of the womb to then to grow in the form which it has at birth.
One could even call this the fundamental ideal & atomic unit of evolution: creativity and the birth of a newly integrated whole. We’ll keep this example the back of our mind for when we get to the Biblical narrative section as this will provide the surprisingly effective Rosetta Stone to get the intuition of the transformational arcs we propose take place in the over-arching Biblical symbolism.
2.5 Summarizing the Rhyme and Reason of Nature
After synthesizing the insights from natural philosophy through our simplified seven-fold model, some key patterns and themes emerge regarding the evolution and complexification of systems over time, namely: (1) the development of diversity-in-unity (2) the emergence of order from chaos5 (3) the movement from abstract potentiality to concrete actuality, and (4) the cyclical arc from unity through differentiation to higher-order integration and wholeness.
Essentially, the evolutionary process weaves greater diversity and complexity while retaining underlying coherence and unity. We can also call this an increase in diversity-in-unity over time - or an increase in Beauty to use a transcendental ideal. Take a look here for a proposed definition of Beauty in the language of complexity; we will also revisit Transcendental ideals in our last section.
For now, let’s go through each of these themes we highlighted sequentially:6
2.5.1 Increase in diversity-in-unity
As systems evolve, they tend to develop greater internal differentiation and specialization of parts, while at the same time integrating those diverse elements into coherent, higher-order wholes. This can be seen in the progression from simple, homogeneous states (like single-celled organisms) to complex, heterogeneous states with many specialized subsystems (like plants and animals with diverse species in symbiotic relationships). Evolution moves towards greater diversity that is nonetheless integrated into unified, harmonious wholes.
2.5.2 Order emerging from chaos
The evolutionary process often involves the spontaneous emergence of ordered, patterned states from more disordered, chaotic initial conditions. For example, the formation of structured atoms and molecules from the primordial plasma of the early universe, or the self-organization of complex living systems from simpler chemical building blocks. Over time, nature tends to generate islands of order and neg-entropic structure against the backdrop of entropy and chaos. This is the work people like Ilya Prigogine devoted their life work to further explore.
2.5.3 Progression from abstract potentiality to concrete actuality
This one is in the spirit of Aristotle. The arc of evolution is characterized by a movement from more abstract, indeterminate states of pure potential to more concrete, determinate actual manifestations. Think of the progression from the open-ended potential of undifferentiated light to the more specialized and constrained forms of matter, or the development of mature, well-defined organisms from the fluid potentiality of embryonic stem cells. Evolution actualizes and makes concrete what was initially only implicit or potential.
2.5.4 Cycles of unity, differentiation, and reintegration
Evolutionary processes often follow an arc from initial wholeness, through a phase of division and differentiation, to an ultimate reintegration at a higher level. We see this in the progression from unstructured unity (the initial singularity), to increasing multiplicity and differentiation (particles, elements, species), to an integrated diversity-in-unity (ecosystems, societies, the noosphere). The cosmic cycle begins and ends in wholeness, but the final unity is one that embraces and includes the intervening diversity.
2.6 Concluding Thoughts on Our Natural Philosophy And It’s Relation to Modern Scientific Enterprise
This elegant and condensed seven-fold conceptual scheme provides a powerful lens for grasping the universal patterns of unfolding and dynamic becoming across nature’s myriad processes, leveraging an empirical approach to the natural sciences to derive the intuition of the ancient Greek philosophers and their Gestalt-to-part thinking.
To wrap, I wanted to provide a perspective on how this relates to our modern scientific enterprise. In the modern worldview, there is a strong emphasis on studying and manipulating the tangible, measurable aspects of nature at Level IV. The incredible success of science and technology in describing and harnessing the forces of nature at this level has led to a tendency to see Level IV as the fundamental or even the exclusive realm of what is “real.”
However, this perspective overlooks the essential role of the prior levels - the realm of potentiality (Level I), the raw materials and substrates (Level II), and the world of form and pattern (Level III) - in shaping and enabling the manifest world we experience. By focusing solely on the end products without appreciating the full process of manifestation, we risk losing sight of the deeper principles and in influences that underlie physical nature.
This truncated metaphysics can lead to an impoverished and unbalanced worldview. When we fail to recognize the importance of final causes (purpose), material causes (substance), and formal causes (form) in giving rise to the efficient causes and concrete entities we observe, we are left with a disenchanted vision of the universe as nothing but dead matter in motion, devoid of meaning and higher order.
Recovering a more holistic metaphysical perspective, one that encompasses all four levels and appreciates their integral relationships, can provide a more complete and satisfying understanding of nature. It allows us to see the manifest world not as a brute given, but as the fruit of an unfolding process rooted in the interplay of unity and multiplicity, potentiality and actuality. This more comprehensive vision restores a sense of depth to the cosmos.
With our scientifically-based process framework set, we will now put this through another the empirical test with our latest understanding of computational neuroscience before shifting gears and examining the Biblical narrative to see how effective this theory holds in the realm of stories from thousands of years ago.
Next Section: UPTM #3 | Understanding Man via the Free Energy Principle, The Bayesian Brain, and Markov Blankets
This research is preliminary and we're publishing this in the spirit of building in public. Feedback, open dialogue, and collaboration is very much encouraged! I will most certainly be wrong in places as I have developed these ideas rather independently. If you are exploring similar ideas, please reach out or expect at a DM as I plan to connect with scholars and folks more knowledgeable & experienced then myself to continue to refine & better articulate the thesis. Please also feel free to follow along or get in touch at @tomer_solomon or by subscribing to my Substack!
Appendix #1: The Versatility of the Arc
To demonstrate the scope of applicability of this involution-evolution arc, we can provide a few other “comparables” in other disciplines. While there are certain;y nuances worth elaborating on, here we are in the business of simple getting a felt-sense of the movement up and down the arc and it’s versatility:
Behavior: Goals vs. Manifestation
Goals: The objectives or endpoints that guide and direct behavior,
representing the desired future states or outcomes.
Manifestation: The actual realization or expression of those goals in the present moment, through concrete actions and results.
Calculus: Differentiation vs. Integration
Differentiation: The process of breaking down a whole into its constituent parts, analyzing the rates of change, and determining the specific characteristics of each element.
Integration: The process of combining the individual parts back into a coherent whole, finding the accumulation of quantities, and determining the overall properties of the system.
Narrative: Tragedy vs. Comedy
Tragedy: A narrative arc that depicts the downfall or suffering of the protagonist, often due to their own flaws or the inevitability of fate, evoking catharsis.
Comedy: A narrative arc that depicts the triumph or redemption of the protagonist, often through wit, irony, or the resolution of mis- understandings, evoking laughter and a sense of restoration.
Myth: Descent vs. Ascent
Descent: The journey into the underworld, representing the movement from initial unity to darkness, death, and multiplicity (e.g. Orpheus’ descent to the underworld, Osiris being dismembered).
Ascent: The return from the underworld, symbolizing the movement from darkness to light, death to rebirth, and the unknown to the known (e.g., Orpheus’ ascent, Osiris’ reconstitution).
Theology - Forming (Priestly) vs. Filling (Kingly)
Forming: The process by which God creates or shapes the fundamental structures and patterns of the universe, setting the stage for the subsequent development and filling of creation.
Filling: The process by which God populates or enriches the formed structures with diverse forms of life and abundance, emphasizing the generative and expansive aspects of God’s creative activity.
Philosophy - Emanation vs. Emergence
Emanation: The process by which the ultimate reality or divine principle gives rise to the multiplicity of the world, often associated with a top-down, unidirectional process.
Emergence: The process by which complex systems or phenomena arise from the interactions of simpler components, emphasizing the bottom-up, self-organizing process.
Psychology - Perception vs. Action
Perception: The process by which the brain interprets and organizes sensory information from the environment to create a representation of the world.
Action: The process by which an organism interacts with and influences its environment based on its perceptions, goals, and motivations.
Appendix #2: Integrating Ancient Metaphysics of Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras, & Genesis with Modern Process-Thought & Markovian Monism
For completeness, we can also provide some historical context on the intellectual milieu of this framework and do some integration work between ancient and modern thinking. Namely, we’ll provide high-level sketches for: (1) Plato’s metaphysics in Timaeus (2) Aristotle’s four causes (3) Pythagoras’ dimension-based ontology and (4) Genesis metaphysics. We’ll then tie this with the modern frameworks of (5) Process Thought and (6) Markovian Monism which we will explore in the following sections.
While we won’t go into the full detail into these at the level they deserve, we bring the full plethora of our ancient thinkers in the spirit painting the picture of the convergence of themes and demonstrating how all these philosophers are tackling similar ideas - namely the relationship between abstract vs. concrete, unity vs. multiplicity, indeterminacy vs. determinacy, potentiality vs. actuality, freedom vs. constraint.
Ancient Metaphysical Frameworks
A.2.1 Plato’s Timaeus
Fire (Level I): The most subtle and penetrating element, associated with light, heat, and energy. It represents the realm of ideas and the intelligible world.
Water (Level II): The element of transformation and fluidity, associated with the realm of emotions and the sensible world.
Air (Level III): The element associated with the realm of thought and the rational soul.
Earth (Level IV): The most solid and stable element, associated with the physical world and the material body.
Here of course Level I represents the realm of ideal, eternal forms - the world of “being” - while Level IV represents the impermanent world of material incorporeality subject to change - the world of “becoming”.
A.2.2 Aristotle’s Four Causes
Final Cause (Level I): The purpose, end, or goal for the sake of which a thing exists or is done. It is the ultimate “why” of a thing. The classic example is a chair, where the final cause of a chair is to provide a place for someone to sit.
Material Cause (Level II): The substance or raw material out of which a thing is made. It is the “of what” a thing is made. The material cause of a chair could be wood, metal, plastic, or any other suitable material.
Formal Cause (Level III): The form, essence, or pattern that makes a thing what it is. It is the “what” of a thing, its definition or nature, The formal cause of a chair is its design or blueprint, which defines its shape, structure, and function.
Efficient Cause (Level IV): The primary source of change, motion, or rest. It is the “by what” or “how” a thing comes into being. The efficient cause of a chair is the carpenter or machine that constructs it according to the design.
In this structure, we can also see the dichotomy between Potentiality (Level I) - max indeterminacy - and Actuality - (Level IV) - max determinacy - play out.
A.2.3 Pythagorean Geometric Abstractions
Point (Level I) [No Time, No Space]: Zero dimensions. The most basic and fundamental unit, representing the origin or source of all things. It is associated with unity, simplicity, and potentiality.
Line (Level II) [Time-Like]: One dimension. The line represents time - pure seriality and ceaseless transformation - the seeds of division, differentiation, and perpetual flux which inject novelty into a static, unchanging void
Plane (Level III) [Space-Like]: Two dimensions. The plane represents space - the manifestation of stable orders and patterns. Whereas the line embodied the element of pure flow, the plane introduces the possibility of synchronic structure, coexisting multiplicities and geometric constraints.
Solid (Level IV) [Space & Time Bounded]: Three dimensions. Represents the actual, concrete manifestation of things in the physical world. It is the realm of tangible, fully formed entities that occupy space and possess volume. The solid is the culmination of the potentiality of the point, the flow of the line, and the patterns of the plane, brought together into a stable, structured - “substantiated form”. It is the world of matter, objects, and the full expression of form in the here and now.
Personally - my favorite ontology. Pythagoras served as the basis for a notable amount of Plato’s thoughts and rumor has it he learned his wares from Egyptian priests. For the more mathematically inclined, Young also provides a dimension- based ontology inspired by Pythagoras which solves some of the Cartesian frame problems. We will go through this in more detail another time as we’d like to focus on the purely scientific and empirical perspective for now for clarity of thought.
A.2.4 Genesis Metaphysics
Heaven (Level I): Represents the divine perfection, the source of creation, and the ultimate goal, symbolized by light, the firmament, and the Garden of Eden.
Time (Level II): Represents cyclical patterns, transformation, and renewal, symbolized by blood, wine, snakes, the feminine, and the flood
Space (Level III): Represents stable structure, boundaries, and distinctions, symbolized by bone, bread, trees, the masculine, and land
Earth (Level IV): Represents the manifest world, concrete existence, and actualization
This mapping is from Matthieu Pageau’s Language of Creation.
Modern Metaphysical Frameworks
A.2.5 High-Level Process Thought
In the context of our theory of process, these levels can be abstracted as follows:
Level I: Represents the highest, most abstract, and most unified level of nature, associated with the realm of pure potentiality and final causes.
Level II: Represents the realm of raw materials and substrates, the “stuff” out of which things are made. Temporal phase with multiplicity of actualities but deficiency in identity.
Level III: Represents the level of form, pattern, and structure, which gives shape and definition to the raw materials of Level II. Perfected actuality in which the many become one - namely a formation of identity.
Level IV: Represents the level of manifestation, where the potentials of Level I, the materials of Level II, and the forms of Level III come together to produce actual, concrete entities and efficient causes. Perfected actuality passes back into the temporal world.
A.2.6 Markovian Monism
As a preview to a Markov-based ontology we did in a preliminary fashion in our Cosmic Bayesian inference, the below outlines how the various states of a Markov blanket map to our various levels of process. We will revisit this in more detail in the following section, and in particular map out the perception-action loops we find in active inference to our involution-evolution arc.
External States (Level I): The external states are the hidden causes that generate the sensory states and are not directly influenced by the internal states of the system.
Sensory States (Level II): Sensory states are the inputs that the system receives from the environment, which are influenced by the external states and inform the internal states.
Active States (Level III): Active states are the outputs or actions that the system generates based on its internal states, which in turn influence the environment and the sensory states the system will receive in the future.
Internal States (Level IV): Internal states are the system's beliefs, representations, or expectations about the environment, which are updated based on the sensory states and influence the generation of active states.
The beauty of Markovian monism is it solves our Cartesian dualism problem and more profoundly arguably allows us to potentially turn metaphysics into physics.
Appendix #3: Quoting Whitehead’s Theory of Process
In fancier and more abstract jargon, Whitehead also captures this Involution & Evolution process. To quote:
A. Involution & Evolution
“To sum up: There are two species of process, macroscopic process [Evolution] and microscopic process [Involution]. The macroscopic process is the transition from attained actuality to actuality in attainment [Evolution]; while the microscopic process is the conversion of conditions which are merely real into determinate actuality [Involution]. The former process effects the transition from the ‘actual’ to the ‘merely real’ [Evolution]; and the latter process effects the growth from the real to the actual [Involution]. The former process is efficient, the latter process is teleological.” - P&R, pg 214
“The present is the immediacy of teleological process whereby reality [Lowering Meaning] becomes actual [Raising Matter]. The former process provides the conditions which really govern attainment [Forming / Priestly]; whereas the latter process provides the ends actually attained [Filling / Kingly]. - P&R, pg 214
B. Concrescence
Concrescence refers to the “Turn”. Or more specifically, the act of compressing the “Compressed N-Gram” or compressing the Recognition Model into the “Feature Vector”. It’s the catchy “the many become one and are increased by one” - an aphorism for self-transcendence. To quote:
“Concrescence is the name for the process in which the universe of many things acquires an individual unity in a determinate relegation of each item of the ‘many’ to its subordination in the constitution of the novel ‘one’. “ P&R, pg 211
Appendix #4: Deep Dive Into The Molecular Stage of The Grid
To provide a more detailed example of the substages for the “4th Level” of molecules, I quote Young below:
Stage #1: The conductivity of metals, with their free-ranging electrons, corresponds to electromagnetic radiation in the kingdom of light. [Genesis]
Stage #2: The binding of ionic compounds, with their positively and negatively charged atoms, corresponds to the protons and electron, the positive and negative particles. [Exodus]
Stage #3: The identity of the hydrocarbons in the paraffin series corresponds to atoms, which also form an “alphabetical” sequence with properties determined by their position therein. [Leviticus]
Stage #4: The combinations which we call functional compounds are fourth-substage because their are combinations of combinations. [Numbers]
Stage #5: The polymers in their self-replication and chains of units corresponds to plant growth with its cell division. [Deuteronomy]
Stage #6: The proteins, as the chemicals that move, correspond to the animal kingdom. [Joshua]
Stage #7: DNA, which directs and governs the growth of plants and animals gives us the clue to the distinctive character of the seventh kingdom; we can clal this the dominion kingdom. [Judges] - Reflexive Universe, pg 82
Notice too each side of the arc shares in the type of molecular bonds. Let us follow the journey of the electron to demonstrate the interplay between freedom and constraint, where:
the bonding electrons in metal are free to move at the speed of light but become increasingly constrained in salts and completely so in oils, ultimately to regain their freedom in proteins and DNA, where controlled electrons make possible the functions of these highly organized molecules. - Reflexive Universe, pg 88
I’ve also put the corresponding books of the Heptateuch to demonstrate the potentially deep resonance - we’ll save this more detailed integration exercise for a follow-up!
This section is mostly a synthesis of Young’s work to set our foundation. I promise I’ll keep the middle school science regurgitation short but this helps gives a sense of themes that we’ll expound upon throughout the rest of the piece. Where we extend Young’s work is through (1) the incorporation of the free energy principle and Markov Blanket formalisms to add complexity science to the conversation and (2) a deeper dive on just how deep this seven-fold structure goes in the symbolism, narrative, and architecture of the entire Biblical story. Other related references works are Theory of Process, Geometry of Meaning and Mathematics, Physics, & Reality both by Young.
Note that the “Evolution” division is similar to Saint Gregory of Nyssa’s work on the nature of the Soul which adds color on St Basil’s Hexaemeron:
“But it seems to me that by these facts Moses reveals a hidden doctrine, and secretly delivers that wisdom concerning the soul, of which the learning that is without had indeed some imagination, but no clear comprehension. His discourse then hereby teaches us that the power of life and soul may be considered in three divisions. For one is only a power of growth and nutrition supplying what is suitable for the support of the bodies that are nourished, which is called the vegetative soul, and is to be seen in plants; for we may perceive in growing plants a certain vital power destitute of sense; and there is another form of life besides this, which, while it includes the form above mentioned, is also possessed in addition of the power of management according to sense; and this is to be found in the nature of the irrational animals: for they are not only the subjects of nourishment and growth, but also have the activity of sense and perception. But perfect bodily life is seen in the rational (I mean the human) nature, which both is nourished and endowed with sense, and also partakes of reason and is ordered by mind.”
Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/2914.htm
Note that this is entirely consistent with Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence of E=M*C^2, where we have a condensation of light - via energy - through matter.
In Whitehead terms, a potential mapping could be the following, with lower epistemic certainty: “Primordial” as Left Side of Arc and “Consequent” as Right Side of Arc.
The science of Uncertainty can also be thought of as the science of Freedom.
Note that these degrees of freedom vs. constraint are more of a heuristic than a precise account.
Interestingly, Carbon as the basis for complex life is the 4th column on the periodic table and reflects a “Goldilocks Zone” and and it’s situated at the “edge of chaos” - stable enough to maintain complex structures (i.e. order) yet reactive enough to participate in dynamic processes & create a variety of molecular structures (chaos / novelty).
We’ll define Emergence more specifically as the generative, open-ended process by which complex systems integrate previously separate elements into newly, synergistic wholes, producing novel patterns, behaviors, and possibilities.
Note these themes echo some of cognitive neuroscientist Bobby Azarian’s thoughts from his latest book, Romance of Reality, which is a Complexity x de Chardin mash-up.