TFNR - Properties / Behaviors and Phenomena
Why do we speak here of Properties, Behaviors, and Phenomena?
Essentially because we have just discussed Relations—their role in the construction of Reality, from the most elementary level, the direct manifestation of the Source, where the Process of Reality Formation originates causally and expresses itself variationally, to the more complex and articulated levels: the domain of Entities, of Derived Sources, of complex Events, of less elementary types of Relations, and of Derived Processes.
As with everything in Physical Reality (except at the most elementary level—the level of the unstructured Elementary Field, the only absolute dimension, and therefore unreachable and unknowable to us, who are relative Forms founded upon Relations, Information, and Action-in-Form), Properties, Behaviors, and Phenomena also derive from Relations among Entities, Events, Processes, and can only be formulated and understood in relative, relational terms.
And, following this approach, how can we define these concepts?
Properties: These are the inherent attributes, characteristics, qualities, or conditions of Entities, Processes, InfoStructures, Forms, Systems, etc., present in both the physical and cognitive domains of Nature. They are often static descriptors, but can also be dynamic (e.g. velocity, entropy). Examples of fundamental properties include: Causality, Variationality, Spatiality, Temporality, Existence, Essence / Form, Extension and Size, Mass, Motion, Charge, Spin, Density, Color, Hardness, Duration, Chemical composition, Capacity.
Behaviors: These refer to patterns of change or responses over time—how a system evolves, reacts, or interacts. Behavior emerges from the configuration and interaction of Properties. Behaviors can be seen as the ways a system—biological, physical, mechanical, or even social—evolves over time under given conditions. When considering Behaviors, we examine how states change through interactions, feedback loops, and external forces. Key concepts related to general Behavior include: stability or order vs. chaos, feedback mechanisms, oscillatory behavior, emergent behavior, self-organization, etc.
Phenomena: These are observable manifestations—the Processes we perceive or measure. A Phenomenon is typically the result of Behaviors governed by Properties. Phenomena are the answer to the questions "what happens?" and "how happens?". They are Events organized by Relations and produced by Entities.
From the point of view of the causal and functional relationships between these terms, we can say that:
- the connection can be expressed as: Properties -> Behaviors -> Phenomena
- Properties enable or constrain Behaviors
- Behaviors generate or express Phenomena
- Phenomena reveal Properties and Behaviors through observation
For example: the Charge of a Particle (Property) determines how it moves in an electromagnetic field (Behavior), which we observe as deflection or radiation emission (Phenomenon).
Some reflections on epistemological aspects:
- We often infer Properties from Phenomena via models and measurements
- Behaviors are interpreted through theoretical frameworks (e.g. Newtonian, relativistic, quantum)
- Phenomena are context-dependent: the same Behavior may yield different Phenomena depending on the observer’s scale, resolution, or interpretive lens
- In complex systems, emergent Phenomena tend to arise from collective Behaviors that are not reducible to individual Properties
Links to the tables of contents of TFNR Paper
