Adopting a relational ontology in physics does more than reinterpret experiments and mathematical formalisms; it calls for a profound re-examination of foundational philosophical concepts—particularly causality, identity, and agency. These concepts, often taken for granted in classical metaphysics, are challenged and reshaped when reality is understood as dynamic relations and transformations rather than fixed entities in space and time.
1. Causality as Networked Process
Traditional causality assumes discrete entities interacting through linear cause-and-effect chains. Within a relational framework:
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Causality is not mechanical transmission between isolated objects but emergent from systemic relational tensions.
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Causes and effects co-arise within a network of constraints; causal influence is distributed rather than localised.
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Temporal ordering becomes contextual rather than absolute; causal relations depend on the topology of relational fields.
This aligns with phenomena like quantum entanglement, where cause-effect cannot be simply reduced to local interactions.
2. Identity as Relational Becoming
Classical identity relies on the notion of persistent, self-same entities. Relational ontology proposes:
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Identity is not substance-based, but a pattern of relational coherence maintained over time.
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Objects (particles, fields, even spacetime regions) are processual nodes in a web of relations, whose “sameness” depends on stable coherence patterns.
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Change is fundamental, and identity is the ongoing negotiation of relational boundaries, not a static essence.
This resonates with quantum contextuality and the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics, where properties exist only in relation to measurement contexts.
3. Agency Beyond the Individual
Agency traditionally attaches to individual entities capable of intentional action or causal influence. In a relational world:
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Agency is distributed across networks of relations; it is the capacity of a system to modulate constraints and actualise potential.
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No isolated “actor” exists; agency emerges in systemic interactions and contextual affordances.
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This view parallels contemporary philosophical ideas about distributed cognition and enactive perception, extending them into fundamental physics.
Agency becomes a property of relational fields, not of isolated particles or observers.
4. Implications for Scientific Realism and Objectivity
The relational turn reframes:
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Scientific realism away from objects with intrinsic properties, toward stable relational patterns as the referents of science.
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Objectivity as the invariance of relational structures across transformations and contexts, not as the discovery of a single absolute reality.
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Knowledge as participatory, where observers and observed are entwined within relational networks.
Such a stance offers a middle path between naive realism and radical constructivism.
5. Bridging Physics and Philosophy
By integrating relational ontology, physics not only gains conceptual clarity but also bridges to contemporary philosophical discourses on:
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Process philosophy,
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Systems theory,
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Philosophy of mind,
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And metaphysics of relations.
This cross-pollination enriches both domains and invites new interdisciplinary dialogue.
Closing Reflection
Relational ontology challenges us to rethink not just what exists, but how we think about existence itself. It invites a vision of reality as a vibrant web of becoming—where causality, identity, and agency emerge from the dance of relations, and physics becomes a science of transformation rather than fixed substance.
In the forthcoming posts, we will explore specific case studies and implications of this ontology in areas such as quantum measurement, spacetime emergence, and the nature of information.
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