Relationalism

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Relationalism is any theoretical position that gives importance to the relational nature of things. For relationalism, things exist and function only as relational entities.

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Relationalism (philosophical theory)

Relationalism, in the broadest sense, applies to any system of thought that gives importance to the relational nature of reality. In its narrower and more philosophically restricted sense, as propounded by the Indian philosopher Joseph Kaipayil [1] [2] [3] and others, relationalism refers to the theory of reality that interprets the existence, nature, and meaning of things in terms of their relationality or relatedness. In the relationalist view, things are neither self-standing entities nor vague events but relational particulars. Particulars are inherently relational, as they are ontologically open to other particulars in their constitution and action. Relational particulars, in the relationalist view, are the ultimate constituents of reality.

Relationalism (theory of space and time)

In discussions about space and time, the name relationalism (or relationism) refers to Leibniz's relationist notion of space and time as against Newton's substantivalist views. [4] [5] [6] According to Newton’s substantivalism, space and time are entities in their own right, existing independently of things. Leibniz's relationism, on the other hand, describes space and time as systems of relations that exist between objects.

More generally, in physics and philosophy, a relational theory is a framework to understand reality or a physical system in such a way that the positions and other properties of objects are only meaningful relative to other objects. In a relational spacetime theory, space does not exist unless there are objects in it; nor does time exist without events. The relational view proposes that space is contained in objects and that an object represents within itself relationships to other objects. Space can be defined through the relations among the objects that it contains considering their variations through time. This is an alternative to an absolute theory, in which the space exists independently of any objects that can be immersed in it. [7]

The relational point of view was advocated in physics by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz [7] and Ernst Mach (in his Mach's principle). [7] It was rejected by Isaac Newton in his successful description of classical physics. Although Albert Einstein was impressed by Mach's principle, he did not fully incorporate it into his general theory of relativity. Several attempts have been made to formulate a full Machian theory, but most physicists think that none have so far succeeded. For example, see Brans–Dicke theory.

Relational quantum mechanics and a relational approach to quantum physics have been independently developed, in analogy with Einstein's special relativity of space and time. Relationist physicists such as John Baez and Carlo Rovelli have criticised the leading unified theory of gravity and quantum mechanics, string theory, as retaining absolute space. Some prefer a developing theory of gravity, loop quantum gravity, for its 'backgroundlessness'.

Relationalism (colour theory)

Relationalism in colour theory, as defended by Jonathan Cohen and others, [8] [9] means the view that colours of an object are constituted partly in terms of relations with the perceiver. An anti-relationalist view about colour, on the other hand, would insist colours are object-dependent. [10]

Relationalism (sociological theory)

In relational sociology, relationalism is often contrasted with substantivalism. While substantivalism (also called substantialism) tends to view individuals as self-subsistent entities capable of social interaction, relationalism underscores the social human practices and the individual's transactional contexts and reciprocal relations. [11] Georg Simmel was methodologically a relationalist, because he was more interested in the interactions among individuals than the substantial qualities of the individual.

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Ontology is the philosophical study of being. As one of the most fundamental concepts, being encompasses all of reality and every entity within it. To articulate the basic structure of being, ontology examines what all entities have in common and how they are divided into fundamental classes, known as categories. An influential distinction is between particular and universal entities. Particulars are unique, non-repeatable entities, like the person Socrates. Universals are general, repeatable entities, like the color green. Another contrast is between concrete objects existing in space and time, like a tree, and abstract objects existing outside space and time, like the number 7. Systems of categories aim to provide a comprehensive inventory of reality, employing categories such as substance, property, relation, state of affairs, and event.

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Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within the universe, as opposed to that which is only imaginary, nonexistent or nonactual. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown.

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In philosophy, absolute theory usually refers to a theory based on concepts that exist independently of other concepts and objects. The absolute point of view was advocated in physics by Isaac Newton. It is one of the traditional views of space along with relational theory and the Kantian theory.

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The container theory of space is a metaphysical theory according to which space is a background against which objects rest and move, with the implication that it can continue to exist in the absence of matter. Its opposite is the relational theory. Newton favoured absolute time and space and the container theory, against Leibniz who was a relationist. The subject was famously debated in the Leibniz–Clarke correspondence.

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Joseph Kaipayil is an Indian philosopher, who expounds a relationalist theory of reality. He is professor of philosophy at Jeevalaya Institute of Philosophy, Bangalore. In his writings one finds a sustained and systematic articulation of relationalism as a distinct philosophical theory. His works include: The Epistemology of Comparative Philosophy (1995), Critical Ontology: An Introductory Essay (2002), Human as Relational: A Study in Critical Ontology (2003), An Essay on Ontology (2008), and Relationalism: A Theory of Being (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relation (philosophy)</span> Ways how entities stand to each other

Relations are ways in which several entities stand to each other. They usually connect distinct entities but some associate an entity with itself. The adicity of a relation is the number of entities it connects. The direction of a relation is the order in which the elements are related to each other. The converse of a relation carries the same information and has the opposite direction, like the contrast between "two is less than five" and "five is greater than two". Both relations and properties express features in reality with a key difference being that relations apply to several entities while properties belong to a single entity.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Relational sociology</span>

Relational sociology is a collection of sociological theories that emphasize relationalism over substantivalism in explanations and interpretations of social phenomena and is most directly connected to the work of Harrison White and Charles Tilly in the United States and Pierpaolo Donati and Nick Crossley in Europe.

Philosophy of motion is a branch of philosophy concerned with exploring questions on the existence and nature of motion. The central questions of this study concern the epistemology and ontology of motion, whether motion exists as we perceive it, what is it, and, if it exists, how does it occur. The philosophy of motion is important in the study of theories of change in natural systems and is closely connected to studies of space and time in philosophy.

References

  1. ↑ Kaipayil, Joseph (2008). "An Essay on Ontology". Bangalore: JIP Publications.
  2. ↑ Kaipayil, Joseph (2009). "Relationalism: A Theory of Being" (Document). Bangalore: JIP Publications.
  3. ↑ "Joseph Kaipayil". Academia.edu. 2015-08-03. Retrieved 2019-05-17.
  4. ↑ Futch, M (2008). Leibniz's metaphysics of time and space. Berlin: Springer. ISBN   978-1-4020-8237-5. OCLC   233972723.
  5. ↑ Ray, Christopher (1991). Time, Space and Philosophy. London: Routledge. ISBN   9780415755207.
  6. ↑ Rickles, Dean (2008). Symmetry, structure, and spacetime. Netherlands: Elsevier. ISBN   978-0-08-055206-4. OCLC   228148102.
  7. 1 2 3 "Absolute and Relational Theories of Space and Motion" (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)
  8. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan (2009). The red and the real : an essay on color ontology. Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN   978-0-19-969223-1. OCLC   316430262.
  9. ↑ Cohen, Jonathan and Shaun Nichols (2010). "Colours, colour relationalism and the deliverances of introspection". Analysis. 70 (2): 218–228. doi:10.1093/analys/anp161. JSTOR   23315112.
  10. ↑ Gatzia, Dimitria Electra (2007). "Color Fictionalism: Color Discourse without Colors".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ↑ Emirbayer, Mustafa (1997). "Manifesto for a Relational Sociology" (PDF). The American Journal of Sociology. 103 (2): 281–317. doi:10.1086/231209. S2CID   32877513. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2019-03-04.
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