TFNR - Reality? Universe?
In the previous chapter we touched on many topics, from the concept of Reality as a whole, to the question of the knowledge and knowability of Reality and the Universe, to the complexities of the phenomena of the microcosm, up to the structure and dynamics of the cosmos, to the evolution of the entire Universe.
In this and in the next chapters we will take up these same topics in a more systematic way, trying to outline the main aspects which, according to the system of knowledge proposed here, characterize the Fundamental Nature of Reality.
Proposals, hypotheses, ideas on its structure and dynamics, to try to draw a unitary and profound vision of Reality (especially of Physical Reality), of the Universe and of Knowledge.
Let's start with some considerations on the terms Knowledge, Reality, Universe and some other related terms: Existence, Essence / Form, Formation, Process.
Questions and answers are made of words. Words and the meanings we give them are so important, that we cannot begin this adventure of knowledge without, one more time, drawing attention to the difference that some fundamental words have here, compared with that of the common or scientific language.
Fundamental for a deeper and wider comprehension of Reality, the Universe and the physical phenomena are the meanings that we give to these terms themselves. Here I considered these terms in a wider sense than in classical theories, even wider than in quantum physics.
Reality
Above all, in the model of representation proposed by Evolutionary Knowledge, Reality is described as a process of formation (of creation and evolution together) and, at the same time, as the full outcome of this process. I call this: Process of Formation of Reality. It represents the process of the incessant transmutation of Possible in Actual.Reality includes everything that:
- has existed (the stock of formed Reality, the whole content of the Universe, Action, Information, Structures of Information, Forms; the causal and formal heritage of the past formation),
- exists (the flux of new formation), the "present",
- will possibly exist (the whole set of possibilities that the flux of new formation, the present, interactions with the stock of formed Reality that we call past, incessantly opens).
Past, present and future as a unity, a unitary incessant process of events.
In this chapter we will try to define:
- what is real
- what is existent
- what is natural
- what is objective or subjective
- what is absolute or relative
These questions are very important for our possibility and the way of constructing a Knowledge of Reality.
Always remembering that Reality is a unitary phenomenon / process, in order to better understand its functioning, it is possible / necessary to observe it from some different perspectives:
- Origin: the Source of Reality, or the Primary Source
- Domains (as a unit):
- physical --> Physical Reality --> Evolutionary Physics
- cognitive --> Cognitive Reality --> Evolutionary Metaphysics
- metacognitive --> Metacognitive Reality --> Evolutionary Meta-metaphysics (Evolutionary Cognitive Sciences)
- Properties:
- Existence --> Events (What happens) --> Action --> Creation
- Essence / Form --> Relations (how happens) --> Information --> Evolution
- Aspects:
- Active aspects (those related to the expression of the Sources in their active aspect: Agents / Forces) --> Action / Causality
- Passive aspects (those related to the expression of the Sources in their passive aspect: Acted / Fields) --> Reaction / Deformation
- Dimensionalities and Dimensions:
- Causality / Cause
- Variationality / Variation
- Spatiality / Space
- Temporality / Time
- Levels (Reality as a multilevel process):
- Fundamental / Elementary levels
- Derived / Complex levels
- Scales (orders of magnitude): from Planch length to the infinite extension of the Universe (from 10-35 to 10∞ meters)
- Principle: how we can know and experience Reality
- Principles: how happens what happens, in its fundamental essence, the roots of the Dynamics of Reality
We will discuss this at length in the next chapter which describes my hypotheses on the Fundamental Nature of Reality.
And more, some notes on the centrality of the term "Formation" and on what is meant in this system of knowledge.
Then, two interesting exercises:
- we will attempt a reverse engineering of Reality, trying to imagine overturning the Process of Formation, from the particular case to the fundamental principles, to the elementary events, the construction techniques and the building blocks respectively
- let's put ourselves in the shoes of a Creator in the construction of a Reality from nothing, in the creation of an evolving Universe
Universe
Here, we consider the Universe, the set of all that exists, as the present section of Reality, the present, a flux of organized events, of possibilities that become actual. Reality is, therefore, the Universe in evolution.Reality and the Universe, as its "present" section, are incessantly re-created by the endless Action of the Source of Reality. It is a continuous and incessant process that empowers the progressive evolution of the structure of the cosmos and of the cosmic structures that make up the Universe, and its incessant "complexification", the emergence of a more and more complex organization of the Relations between the Events, a raising in the Information / Energy content of the cosmos that modifies and reshapes the entire structure of the Universe.
The most relevant aspects for the understanding of the Universe are the following:
- Formation of the Universe as a whole --> History of the Universe
- Origin
- Evolution
- Formation of the cosmic structures --> Ontological, phenomenological and dynamical aspects of the formation of cosmic structures
- Origin
- Evolution
- Classification of the cosmic structures / forms / objects
- Dark matter / dark energy super halos --> Giant voids
- Dark matter / dark energy super cluster halos --> Giant knots in the cosmic web
- Dark matter / dark energy cluster halos --> Medium knots in the cosmic web
- Intergalactic gas / dust clouds
- Dark matter / dark energy galactic halos --> Galactic dots in the cosmic web
- Ordinary matter / energy in galactic halos --> Galactic dots in the cosmic web
- Galactic arms, bars, etc, star clusters, stars, planets, satellites, asteroids, dust, gas
Knowledge
Dictionaries say that "Science" is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. We know that Science, or better "Knowledge", comes from the observation, an "active" observation of the world of Nature. Curiosity, doubt, reasoning are the essence of the human ability to ask questions and find answers. The search for meaning, for a sense...As seen in the introduction, the development of a new system of knowledge needs a clear and solid definition of the fundamental concepts on which the building will pose. There are many fundamental terms with meanings sometimes distant from those proper to the current science language: force, field, action, energy, information, etc. To have a first touch with these words and their meanings in this system of knowledge, I propose an overview of this model of description of Physical Reality and its main features.
To describe the idea of knowledge proposed in this work, it is of the utmost importance to focus attention on:
- what we can know
- what we can't know and why
- how we can know (physical and cognitive aspects of the cognitive systems, relations between the physical reality and the mind)
- what is real
- what is existent
- what is natural
- what is objective or subjective
- what is absolute or relative
- what, why, where and when of the scientific method (hypotheses, predictions, testability, falsifiability, etc.)
- what realism and anti-realism represent in this system of knowledge: the "Principle" and the "Principles" of Reality
In this paper I propose a new project of research that comprehends:
- a new framework (evKnowledge - Evolutionary Knowledge) for the development of a new system of knowledge
- Evolutionary Physics (the study of Physical Reality)
- Evolutionary Metaphysics (the study of Cognitive Reality)
- Evolutionary Meta-metaphysics (the study of Metacognitive Reality)
- a new vision of Reality and the Universe in evolution (also to overcome the traditional "simplicity, elegance, naturalness" approach that has shown all its limits. Nature is complex on all levels. No shortcuts.
- a comprehensive model of formation of Reality, articulated in Ontology, Phenomenology and Dynamics, to find a balance between analysis (detailed vision) and synthesis (global vision) --> that realize a good Cycle of Formation of Knowledge = good science
- a vast set of hypotheses ranging from the microcosm (from the Planch scale to the states of matter) to the macrocosm (the structures and dynamics of the cosmos) --> Neither science nor philosophy, strictly speaking. Just an attempt to help improve our knowledge of Reality.
- a suitable system of formalization that can integrate the most valid tools developed in the context of GR, QFT, etc.
- a descriptive approach that can give an intuitive, understandable, high-level vision of the main natural phenomena, of what exists and how Reality works. Approach that does not exclude, which does not intend to exclude the necessary insights, analytical research, mathematical formalization, etc. but which wants to favor an understandable description based on "mental experiments", with an extensive use of geometric, visual, visible aspects... "No math for math". "No math first".
See also
Links to the tables of contents of TFNR Paper
