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Fig. 6.11 The trichoto-
mization of sciences based
on the metaphysics
of complementarism
ergons, and gnons are discrete
units of gnergy, energy,
and information, respectively
Gnergetics
(Gnergonics)
Science
=
Energetics
(Ergonics)
Informatics
(Gnonics)
Substance
Ontology
Reality
=
Energy/Matter
Information
Epistemology
Fig. 6.12 The “triadic theory of reality” (TTR). TTR organizes seven fundamental concepts in
physics and metaphysics (i.e.,
energy, matter, information, epistemology,
and
ontology, Substance,
and
Reality
) within a coherent conceptual framework or network rooted in the Peircean theory of
signs as depicted in Fig.
6.2
(see Sect.
6.2.1
)
This is the systematization (or the architectonics) of knowledge suggested by the
information/energy complementarity principle (Sect.
2.3.2
).
6.3.8 The Triadic Theory of Reality
Wheeler (1998) presupposes the existence of the questioner or questioners who ask a
series of binary questions, the answers to which are thought to constitute knowledge or
science. Since the questioner came after the Universe and there must have been
something to question about, it seems logical to infer that ontology precedes episte-
mology. BothWheeler (1998) and Bohr (1933, 1958; Murdoch 1987; Pais 1991) seem
to be concerned primarily with
epistemology
, taking ontology for granted.
If this analysis is right, it may be necessary to go beyond Wheeler and Bohr by
extending the Bohr's principle of complementarity to
ontology
, and one way to do
this may be to integrate all the major concepts discussed in philosophy into a
logically coherent system using the triadic diagram discussed in Sect.
6.2.1
.
TTR shown in Fig.
6.12
may be regarded as the periodic table of philosophy and
a geometrical version of complementarism, according to which the ultimate reality
is the complementary union of irreconcilable opposites. It should be noted that there
are three kinds of complementarities embedded in Fig.
6.12
.
