Broad Physical Categories (BPC)

#broad-physical-categories
Broad Physical Categories (BPC)

Broad physical categories[1] are the most fundamental, most abstract concepts scientists use when investigating the natural world.

Broad Physical Categories in Hierarchical Order:

Principle of ordering:

Existents which condition the identity of a given existent will come before that existent and will show up in the definition of that existent. If two ideas are written side by side, it means they mutually condition one another.

Existent and Identity are defined ostensively, viz., they can only be gestured to. We simply point at something and say that's that. These two concepts cannot be defined any further because existent and identity are the broadest categories, they don't belong to any wider genus. These are the basis of everything else—everything else is an existent with identity.

Category Definition
Existent Ostensive.
Identity Ostensive.
1. Entity An existent having particular properties.
1. Property An aspect of an entity’s identity.
2. Characteristic An aspect of an existent’s identity.
3. Conditioning Connections A characteristic of an existent where all or part of the identity of that existent is dependent in part on a characteristic of another existent.
4. Necessary Connection A characteristic of an existent where all or part of the identity of that existent is entirely determined by a characteristic or characteristics of certain other existents.
5. Relationship A property of an entity where a property or set of properties of that entity are conditioned by the properties of another entity.
6. Constituent entity An entity, being in a relationship or set of relationships with another entity or set of entities, constituting a composite entity.
6. Composite entity An entity having particular properties conditioned by a set of constituent entities and the relationships between them.
7. Matter The constituent entities which make up a composite entity.
8. Form The set of relationships between the constituent entities of a composite entity.
9. Material conditioning A conditioning connection between the matter of an entity and its properties.
10. Formal Conditioning A conditioning connection between the form of an entity and its properties.
11. Efficient Conditioning A conditioning connection between the properties of a first entity and the properties of a second entity it is in a relationship with.
12. Passive Conditioning A conditioning connection between the properties of a first entity and the way the properties of a second entity condition the first entity’s properties when in a relationship.
13. Material entity An entity having particular properties which are the result of material conditioning.
14. Formal entity An entity having particular properties which are the result of formal conditioning.
15. Action The formation or dissolution of a relationship.
16. Causal Connection A conditioning connection involving action.
17. Cause A property of an entity which conditions the properties of another entity through action. Cause always comes before the properties it conditions (effect).
17. Effect A property or set of properties of an entity which are conditioned by a certain cause. Effect always comes after cause.
18. Material cause A material conditioning connection between an entity’s matter and its actions.
19. Formal cause A formal conditioning connection between an entity’s form and its actions.
20. Efficient cause A conditioning connection between the actions of a first entity and the properties of a second entity.
21. Passive Cause A conditioning connection between the properties of a first entity and the way its other properties will change when it is subject to the actions of a second entity.

Broad Physical Categories Ordered by Subsumptive Relationships:

Principle of ordering:

Terms which are subcategories of others are written as subheadings of the broader category of which they are a subcategory.

  1. Entity

  2. Characteristic

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