Liebe, so ausdauernd diskutierende und kommentierende Philweb-Enthusiasten, hier meine
aktuell geplante Einreichung, die auch aus unserem Austausch hier entstanden ist.
Einreichung noch nicht erfolgt, Annahme offen.
- zum internen Gebrauch…., später open source
Sehr dankbare Grüße in die Runde,
Thomas
Thomas Fröhlich
Letter to the editor
Individualized time and space embedded in general time and space – a debatable proposal
The dynamic systems theory concept of individualized time and space was outlined in an
article submitted to Wiley Journal Systems Research and Behavioral Science and in further
publications (Fröhlich 2025, 2022, 2019). This letter discusses the rationale behind this
concept and its relationship to an equally valid model of general space and time.
We commenced with pairs engaged in interactions instead of hypothetical singles, using
corresponding bicentric or polycentric relational activities as starting fragments.
Following random encounters, these fragments perform according to their inherent capacity
to adapt to each other. By creating a harmonious interaction, the fragments mutually
implement the accessible aspects of their partner’s dynamics in their subsequent
cooperative processing. Relational components, such as primary orientation, aspectual
differentiation, and aspect-related interpretative adaptation, were included in the
primary dynamic pairs. Compared to its founding isolated fragments, the mutually
implemented accessible aspects form a surplus of the resulting system, thereby
establishing ever-larger, interactionally and dynamically individualized,
implementation-enriched units. In this case, the system structure remains the same
regardless of the number of members cooperating to form the system. Therefore, we obtained
a fractal structure iterated at both small and large scales.
Shifting the focus from single fragments to interactive elements requires an initial
differentiation. We mentally distinguish between interaction-providing sourcing instances
and their individualized specifications, thus providing opportunities for discretized
cooperation. This corresponds to the established theoretical distinction between potentia
and actus–Latin terms that reflect the terms dynamis and energeia in ancient Greece.
Differentiation is advantageous in allowing the introduction of a non-set-like source form
of prefactual seed homogeneity, thus providing the opportunity to unfold into different
paths of discretized, interactionally dynamic entities. The resulting dynamic entities
enact their own interactional timing and spatial relationships, producing internal
relational homogeneities that are understood as different, gradually separated own worlds.
Their distinctive time-shaping interactional specifications deviate from the primordially
content-free transindividual flow of general time and the corresponding homogeneity of the
general space.
The constituents of dynamically defined worlds share common aspects that are common to all
interactions that can be realized. These common aspects transcend the individuality of
each moment and place in favor of universal time and space. The convergence of
transindividual aspects creates a general space and time shared by all individuals,
thereby providing a comparative background for detecting and considering individual
interactions.
Both individualized and general time and space co-emerge from common sources. As they
diverge from this common source, they divide, realizing both the individual and general
aspects that are tacitly contained in this source.
The general systematics of creating counter-general individuality can be described as
thematic spiraling around a theme-generating core. If perpetuated, this punctual core
morphs into a semantic axis and continuously structures the interactions at the
meta-level. The “inside” of each interactional pairing as well as the “inside” of the
thematic spiraling combine to form a multi-layered semantic interiority.
The proposed model required acknowledging the information exchange at the physical level.
This allowed us to clarify the role of bodily resources in producing interactional
dynamics through periodically structured chemical and electromagnetic information
exchanges. In animals and humans, detached eigenworlds can emerge from ritualized
movements, sound sequences, manmade symbols, gestures, and words. The more body-distant
individuality is achieved in these maneuvers, the more the terms “mental” and “spiritual”
apply.
A major advantage of this approach is that the activities of mutual interpretive awareness
and knowledge implementation are understood as integral parts of any internally
systematized dynamics starting at the atomic and molecular levels. Partners of an atomic
or molecular interaction respond to each other to mutually adapt, allowing the specificity
of the interaction to be embedded in and compared to general space and time. Initially,
note that each occurs unintentionally at the molecular level. Without a plan, this
non-mental mutual “consideration” leads to mutual adaptation, allowing the fragments to
conform and interact with an emergent, embryonic individuality of their own. Thus,
adaptive self-transformation succeeding in orienting oneself toward another and the
subsequent use of non-signal-intermediated information about its accessible aspects can
all be understood as enacted awareness and interpretive knowledge implementation.
Because these logically differentiated acts form a part of any identifiable interaction,
they contribute to the elementary basis of any dynamic system. Consequently, the
corresponding activities do not need to be logically added afterwards as separate or
additional activities. Thus, the apparent discrepancy between generality-oriented
scientific approaches and meaning-oriented humanities approaches can be overcome by
hypothesizing a common source of both individuality and generality. If the simultaneous
existence of both forms of space and time is seen as starting from seed-like instead of
set-like sources, the discrepant approaches of science and humanities can incorporate the
complementary concepts of general and individualized time and space and engage in a
relational, mutually considered unification.
References
Fröhlich, T. 2025. “Dynamic Systems Theory: A New Approach.” Systems Research and
Behavioral Science, under review
Fröhlich, T. 2022. “The Clinical Paradox: Acting in Two Worlds in Parallel.” Journal of
Evaluation in Clinical Practice 29: 748–755.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jep.13802
Fröhlich, T. 2019. “General System Theory (GST) and a Non-Reductionist Concept of
Elements: Suggesting a Corresponding Discussion Based on Tramonti (2019).” Systems
Research and Behavioral Science 36: 342–345.
https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2592
Conflicts of interest
Concerning the Letter to the Editor for publication in a yet to find journal, titled
“Individualized times and spaces embedded in general time and space – a debatable
proposal.”
The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare related to this publication.
Am 07.08.2025 um 04:38 schrieb Karl Janssen über
PhilWeb <philweb(a)lists.philo.at>at>:
Glauben an eine bessere Welt ist angesagt und dementsprechendes Handeln anstatt mit deren
Ungemach zu hadern. Diese und alle Deine hier bislang vorgebrachten ungeheuren
Lebensgeschichten zeigen, Dein ständiges Lamento, Deine Misanthropie, Deine generell
pessimistische Weltsicht bestätigt Nietzsches Aussage:
„Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehen, dass er nicht selbst zum Ungeheuer wird. Und
wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt dieser auch in dich hinein.“
KJ
PS: Ein Ungeheuer bist Du wahrhaftig nicht, ungeheuer kritisch, nahezu kritikastisch
allerdings. Lass uns in diesen kritischen Zeiten etwas mehr frohgemut sein, will heissen:
Mut zum Frohsein!
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