Czytaj książkę: «Fundamentals of ontological psychology. The ontology of an infinite field of potencies»

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ISBN 978-5-0068-1141-6

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Introduction

Dialogue as an Engine of Knowledge Evolution

This book was born out of dialogue. From the insistence on finding a common language between the exact sciences and the humanities, between objective observation and subjective experience, between the chaos of creative search and the cosmos of proven theories. The ontology of the Infinite Field of Potencies (IFP) is not the fruit of speculative speculation, but the result of an attempt to comprehend a complete picture of reality, in which consciousness, life and society appear not as random anomalies in the mechanistic universe, but as natural and fundamental manifestations of its deep nature.

The crisis of reductionism, so obvious today, lies in its dumbness to the face of complexity. By breaking the world down into details, we lose the meaning of the whole. We have brilliant theories about the functioning of the neuron and global models of economics, but we do not understand how poetry is born out of electrical impulses and cultural revolutions out of individual decisions. We sorely lack a metalanguage capable of describing the continuity of evolution from elementary particles to political institutions.

IFP theory offers this language. It sees in the Universe not a set of objects, but a hierarchy of processes – an infinite dialogue unfolding in time between two non-discontinuous beginnings: the Infinite (the unmanifested field of all possibilities, potency, chaos) and the Actual (the manifested, stable structure, embodied form, cosmos). Cognition, life, creativity – all these are different forms of actualization, the birth of a new one out of this eternally fruitful Infinite.

This work is an invitation to dialogue for psychologists, educators, sociologists and anyone else who wants to understand the laws of complex systems. We consciously avoid excessive mathematization, trying to convey the essence of the concept – its philosophical depth and practical power. The mathematical apparatus here serves not as a goal, but as a support for intuition, a way to test the rigor of our metaphors.

We will move from general ontological principles to their concrete implementation in the psyche, cognition and society, in order to eventually return to practice – the art of conscious participation in this great dialogue.

The crisis of reductionism and the need for a new language

Modern science has made incredible strides, but it has run into a fundamental limitation: it explains simple systems perfectly, but is powerless in the face of complex ones. We can predict the movement of the planets, but we can’t predict a stock market crash. We can describe the biochemistry of neurotransmitters, but we can’t explain the nature of the Self. This crisis is caused by the very paradigm of reductionism, which:

– Divides: Studies the elements of a system in isolation, losing its emergent properties.

– Static: It searches for immutable laws and constants, whereas complex systems are dynamic and historical.

– Objectifies: Excludes the observer from the picture of the world, making it impossible to describe consciousness.

We need a new way of thinking. Without giving up accuracy, we must add integrity to it. The IFP ontology offers such a synthesis. Its central meta-handicap is the «actualization spectrum».

Any complex system – be it an atom, a cell, a person, or a nation-at any given time has a certain «spectrum» of possible states into which it can move. This spectrum is neither infinitely wide nor static. It is shaped by the system’s past experience, its history, and its «habits». The strength of these habits is the probability of one or another actualization.

Thus, the universe appears not as a mechanism, but as a hierarchy of actualization processes, where each level is simultaneously:

– Actual for the level below: a stable, structured environment that sets the rules of the game.

– Infinite for the level above: a reservoir of opportunities, a source of novelty and unpredictability.

The cell is actual for molecules, but Infinite for the organ. The individual is actual for his neurons, but Infinite for the group. This inter-embeddedness creates a continuous fabric of being, permeated with feedbacks.

In this picture of the world, the brain is unique not in its complexity, but in its plasticity

– the speed and depth with which it can rebuild its own spectrum of actualization. It is a place where the universe gains reflexivity, the ability to be aware of and change itself directionally. And the Infinite can be likened to a global meta-brain, in which everything exists as a potency, actualized in an endless dialogue with itself through feedback, in an eternal search for balance between the chaos of creation and the order of form.

Ontology of the Infinite Field of Potencies

The balance of actual and potential

The ontology of the Infinite Field of Potencies is based on the distinction between two principles that are not reducible to each other, but also do not exist without each other:

The infinite (Potency) is an unformed, undifferentiated, virtual state of being. This is the field of all possibilities that are not yet manifested, but already exist in the form of tendencies, latent structures, Potencies. It is not just «nothing»; it is a rich, rich «not-yet-being», a source of novelty, creativity and unpredictability. In psychology, it corresponds to the unconscious, implicit knowledge, intuition. In physics-quantum superposition, vacuum fluctuations.

The actual is manifested, formed, realized being. This is everything that has a shape, structure, can be measured and described. This is a realized opportunity that has become a fact. A neural network, a social institution, and a written text are all actual.

It is important to understand: these are not two different worlds, but two aspects of the same reality. Any active structure bears the trace of its origin from the Infinite and contains the potential for a new transformation. Any Infinite exists only relative to some level of Actuality.

Chaos and Cosmic: not enemies, but partners

Traditionally, chaos is perceived as a threat to order. In the IFP ontology, this dichotomy is removed.

Chaos is the dynamic aspect of the Infinite, a state of uncertainty from which the new is born. This is not a destructive force, but a creative one, although it requires the courage to meet her.

Cosmic is a stable aspect of the Present, an established order that provides stability and predictability. This is not a fixed dogma, but a necessary stage that allows you to accumulate resources for the next step into the Infinite.

The evolution of any complex system is an eternal movement between these poles: from Chaos to Cosmos (through actualization and structuring) and from Cosmos to Chaos (through destructurization and return to potency for a new round of complexity). The health of a system lies in its ability to maintain this dynamic balance, rather than falling into the extremes of total chaos or ossified order.

Dynamic balance as the basis of existence

The existence of any complex system, from the cell to human society, is possible only in a dynamic balance between the Infinite and the Actual. This balance is not a static equilibrium, but a constant process of mutual transition and transformation.

When a system is excessively focused on the Actual, it becomes rigid, loses its ability to adapt and update. Its range of actualization narrows, and its behavior becomes predictable and stereotyped. In the human psyche, this manifests itself as freedom of thought, avoidance of novelty; in society, it manifests itself as stagnation, totalitarianism, and suppression of dissent.

When the system is reoriented to the Infinite, it risks losing its integrity and identity. Its behavior becomes unpredictable, chaotic, and disorganized. On the scale of the psyche, this can be expressed as psychotic states, the disintegration of the individual; on the scale of society – as anarchy, revolutionary chaos, loss of social cohesion.

Thus, the «health» of a system is determined by its ability to maintain an optimal balance between these two poles for these conditions, while maintaining both stability and plasticity.

Hierarchy of actualization levels

One of the key provisions of the IFP ontology is the principle of hierarchical nesting of actualization levels. Reality is not a flat structure, but a complex hierarchy, where each level is both Actual and Infinite:

– Quantum level: Infinite – quantum superposition, virtual parts. Actual – collapse of the wave function, observed particles.

– Biological level: Infinite – genetic potential, latent capabilities of the organism. Actual – phenotype, implemented physical and biochemical structures.

– Psychic level: Infinite-unconscious, implicit knowledge, creative potential. Actual – consciousness, explicit thoughts, stable patterns of behavior.

– Social level: Infinite – cultural potential, social innovations, emerging trends. Relevance – institutions, norms, established social structures.

Each overlying level arises from the Infinite underlying level through the processes of self-organization and emergence of emergent properties. At the same time, the higher levels have the opposite effect on the lower ones, creating a complex network of mutual influences.

Creative nature of actualization

Actualization is not a passive process of «manifesting» pre-defined forms, but an active creative act. At the moment of updating, there is not just a choice of pre – given options, but a genuine creation of novelty.

This is especially noticeable at the level of human creativity and social innovation. The artist who creates a new work, or the social entrepreneur who develops a new model of community organization, does not just «choose» from existing opportunities, but actually creates something fundamentally new.

In terms of IFP, this means that the Infinite does not contain ready-made «forms», but rather a potency for the formation of new configurations. Actualization is the process of realizing these Potencies in a unique historical context.

This creative aspect of actualization distinguishes the IFP ontology from deterministic models and opens up a space for genuine novelty and creativity in the universe.

Dynamics of actualization: dissipation, resonance, self-organization

The transition from the Infinite to the Actual takes place through three interrelated processes: dissipation, resonance, and self-organization. These processes describe how potential is transformed into reality at different levels of being.

Dissipation is the process of energy and information dissipation, which creates conditions for the emergence of a new order. In thermodynamics, dissipative systems are systems that are far from equilibrium and are capable of self-organization. In psychology, this is the willingness to abandon old patterns, to allow yourself to experience uncertainty.

Resonance is the process of amplifying vibrations when frequencies coincide. In IFP, resonance is understood as a mechanism for selecting and enhancing certain Potencies from the Infinite. Ideas, images, and people resonate when their internal frequencies match.

Self-organization is a spontaneous process of forming order out of chaos. This is the emergence of new structures and patterns without the involvement of an external control factor. Self-organization occurs when the system reaches a critical point of balance between the Infinite and the Actual.

Actualization Package

Actualization package is a key concept in the IFP ontology, denoting a complete set of related Potencies that are actualized together as a single whole.

In cognitive science, an actualization package can correspond to a cognitive schema or behavioral pattern. In social dynamics – in a social movement or cultural trend.

Update packages have varying degrees of stability – the ability to maintain their integrity under external influences. Highly stable packets form attractors in the phase space of the system.

Actualization spectrum

The actualization spectrum is the probability distribution of different states of the system. A wide range indicates high plasticity and creativity of the system; a narrow range indicates rigidity and predictability.

The dynamics of the actualization spectrum describes the evolution of the system over time. Learning and development can be characterized as an extension of the spectrum of actualization; trauma and fixation – as a narrowing of it.

Mathematics of the Potential: fundamentals of the formal apparatus

Entropy and information

Although this book is aimed at a humanitarian audience, some mathematical concepts can help clarify the ontological principles of IFP.

Entropy in the context of IFP can be interpreted as a measure of uncertainty, a variety of Infinite Potencies. High entropy corresponds to a rich, diverse field of Potencies; low entropy corresponds to a limited, narrow field.

Information is understood as reducing uncertainty, choosing certain patterns from a variety of possible ones. Actualization always implies an increase in the amount of information (in the mathematical sense) due to a decrease in entropy.