abstraction—the process from which abstract entities are created.

abstract entity—something which is not spatiotemporally located and/or has no causal effects.

causal effect—to be is to have causal effect, even if nothing is seemingly relationally uneffected.

concrete entity—something which is spatiotemporally located and has causal effects.

difference, a system of—Saussure pointed out that a word acquires its meaning from its difference to the other words in the language. This can be extended by analogy to ontology (the question of what exists) as well. An object is what it is because it is not the other objects.

driver-mechanic analogy, the—a driver is someone who does not need to know how a car’s engine works in order to operate a car to get from one place to another. A mechanic on the other hand does need to know in order to repair a car. This shows that some knowledge (how the steering wheel, accelerator, brake, etc works) is necessary but not other knowledge (combustion, brake pad contact, etc) for a driver. In fact, we operate not on full knowledge but on the basis of necessary knowledge for a purpose or function. Purpose or function is specifically, then, for a reality of relational particulars.

encounter—prior to experience. Objects like rocks do not experience but can encounter because they are existent. In other words, to exist is to be encounter-able. Distance has nothing to do with encounter. A rock on the the farthest planet is already encountering the rock here by my feet. They exist in reality and are therefore in relation regardless of distance. Both are within the same relational field, within the totality of reality.

entity—something which functions as a single, complete, or distinct unit, as opposed to an object, which is something which exists as a single, complete, or distinct unit. Not all entities are objects, but all objects are entities.

gesture—not necessarily bodily action; contrasted with verbal expression. To simply observe that “there is that” is considered a gestural action. When an infant observes that there is an object it already notes that there is something not here, not where it is. In other words, the single gesture already confirms the observer’s or encounterer’s own existence.

language—a system of symbols and are often representations of concepts which in-themselves are representations. Language is a reification of sustained complex processes enacted across multiple particulars.

matter—that which is not space or time. We experience matter relatively directly. Matter is known and understood from the relationship to other objects. That which is spatiotemporally located, and has causal effects.

matter-in-relation—an explicit term to remind us that matter is always in spatiotemporal relation.

matterspacetime—reality as totality. The term is to show the inseparability of these. What is matter without space or time? What is space without matter or time? What is time without matter or space? These are not trivial but serious questions about the relational field.

object—something which exists as a single, complete, or distinct unit, as opposed to an entity, which is something which functions as a single, complete, or distinct unit. All objects are entities, but not all entities are objects.

ontology—specifically, the study of what exists. Ontology is not about the categories into which entities are grouped because that is within the domain of epistemology. If there were natural epistemological categories to begin with then every person would recognise and know them a priori before any kind of experience.

reality—the totality of matterspacetime/matter-in-relation. Reality is not simply matter but also the space and time that creates the relational field. Matter without space or time would simply not be matter. This is why materialism (bare matter) is incoherent.

space—that which is not matter or time. We do not have direct experience of space. Space is known and understood only from the relationship of objects.

spatiotemporally located—to be is to be somewhere, somewhen as somewhat.

time—that which is not matter or space. We do not have direct experience of time. Time is known and understood only from the change in the relationship of objects.

(Version 20251218-0643)