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Thoughts and thinkers: On the complementarity between objects and processes
1Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA.
Physics of Life Reviews
|January 28, 2025
Summary
The dichotomy of "objects versus processes" is unhelpful. Instead, viewing them as complementary descriptions of persistence through time, intertwined with memory and time, offers greater theoretical utility for scientific understanding.
Area of Science:
- Theoretical Physics
- Philosophy of Science
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- The traditional scientific distinction between "objects" and "processes" is widely accepted.
- Persistence through time is a fundamental concept in scientific observation and manipulation.
- The role of memory in understanding temporal dynamics is often considered secondary.
Purpose of the Study:
- To challenge the utility of the "objects versus processes" dichotomy in scientific discourse.
- To propose a complementary framework for understanding persistence through time.
- To elucidate the fundamental role of memory in observation and its relationship with time.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical formulation integrating concepts from the Free Energy Principle (FEP).
- Application of quantum theory's representation of physical interactions via linear operators.
- Adoption of Levin's (2024) perspective on memory as a primary interpretative function.
Main Results:
- Objects and processes are best understood as complementary descriptions of persistence.
- Memory is identified as an essential resource for observation and is mutually defined with time.
- The distinction between objects and processes is shown to be artificial and misleading.
Conclusions:
- Abandoning the object/process dichotomy would benefit scientific advancement.
- A unified view of persistence, memory, and time offers a more robust theoretical foundation.
- Memory's interpretative function is foundational, with its role as a record being derivative.
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