A Formal Ontology of Self-Referential Structure: Reconstructing the Subject-Object Identity
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) July 28, 2026 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.21635665 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that a formal ontological model, built on mereological partial order and self-reference monotonicity, can consistently represent the proposition "I am the universe, the universe is me," thereby avoiding the combination problem of panpsychism and offering a conceptual framework for consciousness science. |
Abstract
Employing formal logical tools, this paper constructs a formal ontological model of the proposition "I am the universe, the universe is me" by constructing a mereological partial order structure and establishing the premise of self-reference monotonicity, proving that it is a formal model of a set of logically consistent metaphysical axioms. With the top-down instantiation approach, this model avoids the combination problem of panpsychism and provides a metaphysical reference for consciousness science. This paper strictly abides by the disciplinary boundary between philosophy and science. This paper is a work in metaphysical ontology, not a scientific hypothesis; it provides no empirically testable predictions, only conceptual clarification.