Digest of A Relational Universe; An Outline of the Syntax of Existence
Time as Irreversible Updates of Relations
Time is not an axis for measuring the movement of things.
It emerges only when relations change in a way that leaves an irreproducible trace—
a history that cannot be reconstructed.
Time is not a substance, but a syntax generated from the history of transformation.
Referencing Shannon, Barbour, and process philosophy,
we propose a new definition:
time is the irreversibility of relational updates.
Information as the Discernibility of Relations
Information does not exist in isolation.
It emerges only when there is a difference between relations—
a distinguishability arising from contrasts, not absolutes.
Information is not a quantity that resides in matter.
It is the possibility of identification born from patterns of relations.
Referencing Bateson’s “difference that makes a difference,”
we define information as:
the discernibility of relational structures.
Matter as the Structure of Interactions
Matter is not a solid entity that exists on its own.
It emerges from the dynamic structure of interactions.
What we perceive as “things” are bundles of relations—
networks of mutual influence that appear stable over time.
Matter is not the substance behind appearances.
It is the enduring pattern of relational interactions
that forms the basis for persistence and identity.
Drawing from quantum field theory and relational ontology,
we define matter as:
the structure of mutual interactions that maintains consistency across changes.
Energy as the Generativity of Relations
Energy is not merely a measurable quantity.
It is the capacity for transformation inherent in relations.
Where matter stabilizes, energy destabilizes.
It pushes relations toward new configurations,
carrying the surplus that fuels emergence.
Energy is not a passive property of objects.
It is the generative potential that propels relations into becoming.
Referencing thermodynamics, systems theory, and generative ontology,
we define energy as:
the generativity of relations—their capacity to exceed and transform.
Space as the Configuration Map of Relations
Space is not a container that holds things.
It is the configuration generated by the relations themselves.
Wherever there are patterns of interaction,
a topology emerges—
a map of how relations are arranged.
Space is not empty.
It is filled with the very structure of relations,
woven by the interplay between perspectives.
Drawing from topology, quantum geometry, and perspectival realism,
we define space as:
the configuration map of relations—an emergent geometry shaped by interaction.
Observation as Participatory Entry into a Protocol
Observation is not a neutral act.
It is a participation in the relational field
that modifies what is observed by the very act of observing.
To observe is to join a protocol—
a rule-bound process of relating
that defines both the observer and the observed.
There is no outside.
Every act of observation folds the observer into the system,
restructuring the relational web.
Referencing second-order cybernetics, quantum measurement, and constructivism,
we define observation as:
a participatory entry into a relational protocol—
a creative act that alters both the map and the territory.
Cosmic Expansion as the Proliferation of Correlational Structures
The universe is not expanding into something.
It is the expansion of correlational structures themselves—
a growing web of relational complexity.
Expansion does not mean spreading matter through empty space.
It means that the fabric of relations
is continuously differentiating, unfolding, and restructuring.
As relations diversify and interlink,
new forms of meaning, interaction, and identity emerge.
The cosmos is not a container—it is an ongoing symphony of relational growth.
Referencing cosmology, information theory, and relational emergence,
we define cosmic expansion as:
the proliferation of correlational structures—
an entangled blossoming of the relational universe.
© 2025 K.E. Itekki
K.E. Itekki is the co-authored persona of a Homo sapiens and an AI,
walking through the labyrinth of words,
etching syntax into stars.
📬 Reach us at: contact.k.e.itekki@gmail.com