Two Ways of Knowing: A Commutativity Condition in the Geometry of Reality and the Epistemic Implications of the James Webb Space Telescope
Two Ways of Knowing: A Commutativity Condition in the Geometry of Reality and the Epistemic Implications of the James Webb Space Telescope
Author:
Sungchul Ji, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Cell Biology
Rutgers University
Abstract
We propose a commutativity condition embedded in the Geometry of Reality (GOR), a triadic ontological model informed by Peircean semiotics and structured by the recursive mechanism IRVSE (Iterative Reproduction with Variation and Selection by Environment). This condition expresses the equivalence between two distinct epistemic pathways from the Multiverse (pure potential) to the Gnergonic [Information (Gn-) + Energy (-erg-) + Entity (-on)] Universe (interpreted reality): one sequential, via emergence and interpretation, and the other direct, via intuitive resonance or symbolic cognition. We suggest that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), through its novel cosmological revelations, may catalyze a transition in the human epistemic paradigm, revealing the limitations of purely logical methods and inviting the integration of traditionally non-logical modes of knowing.
1. Introduction: A Moment of Epistemic Reassessment
The release of deep-field images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed cosmological structures that appear to challenge existing models grounded in general relativity and quantum field theory. While empirical analysis continues, the sheer scale and unexpected organization of certain galactic formations suggest the presence of a structure in the universe that is not readily reducible to known physical laws. This prompts not just a scientific reevaluation, but a broader reassessment of how human beings come to know Reality.
This paper proposes that such a reassessment can be grounded in a formal model called the Geometry of Reality (GOR), a 3-dimensional semiotic and ontological framework spanned by Energy/Matter (X), Information/Mind (Y), and Consciousness/Spirit (Z). The model is structured by the principle of IRVSE, a recursive triadic mechanism that generalizes evolution, computation, and interpretation.
2. Geometry of Reality and the IRVSE Mechanism
In GOR, reality is defined not merely as an objective externality, but as a structured interplay among three irreducible elements:
Energy (X): Material and dynamic forces (physics)
Information (Y): Semantic structures and representations (mental processes)
Consciousness/Spirit (Z): Interpretive awareness, self-reflection, or first-person experience (meta-cognition)
These dimensions map directly onto Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic semiotics:
Firstness: Pure possibility or potential (Multiverse)
Secondness: Actualization or reactive interaction (Gnergitonic Universe)
Gnergiton = Information (Gn-) + Energy (-erg-) + Spirit (-it-) + Entity (-on)
Thirdness: Interpretation or law-like mediation (Gnergonic Universe)
Gnergon = Information (Gn-) + Energy (-erg-) + Entity (-on)
The transitions among these layers are governed by the IRVSE process:
IRVSE (Iterative Reproduction with Variations and Selection by Environment) is a 5-step geometric algorithm that can generate Fibonacci series and the Golden spirals as explained I Figure 3 below.
IRVSE(1): Multiverse → Gnergitonic Universe (Emergence of structures)
IRVSE(2): Gnergitonic Universe → Gnergonic Universe (Semantic projection/interpretation)
IRVSE(3): Multiverse → Gnergonic Universe (Direct interpretive resonance)
3. The Commutativity Condition: IRVSE(3) = IRVSE(2) ∘ IRVSE(1)
The key insight this article develops is the commutativity of the transition from pure potential (Multiverse) to interpreted meaning (Gnergonic Universe). That is:
This means that there are two structurally valid epistemic routes for reaching meaningful experience or knowledge:
Sequential Pathway:
First, reality emerges from potential via natural instantiation (IRVSE(1))
Then, meaning is projected or interpreted from those instantiations (IRVSE(2))
This corresponds to the scientific method and analytic reasoning.
Direct Pathway:
Meaning arises directly from the potential, without full material instantiation
This corresponds to intuitive knowing, including symbolic insight, meditation, mystical experience, and entheogenic cognition
That these paths commute indicates their epistemic equivalence within the GOR framework.
4. Epistemological Implications: Complementarity, Not Exclusivity
Historically, science has privileged the sequential pathway—emergence followed by interpretation—as the only legitimate mode of accessing truth. However, ancient and indigenous traditions have long maintained that there are forms of direct knowledge unmediated by formal logic. The GOR framework suggests that both are valid, structurally supported routes in a larger epistemic geometry.
The commutativity condition reveals a deeper principle: epistemological complementarity. Just as wave-particle duality in quantum mechanics reframed how physicists understand matter, so too may this cognitive duality reframe our understanding of knowing itself.
5. The Role of JWST: A Potential Paradigm Shift
The JWST may prove to be more than an observational tool. It may serve as a catalyst for epistemological transformation. If its images continue to reveal structures that resist reduction to extant physical theory, the scientific community may be forced to reckon with the limitations of purely analytical cognition.
GOR suggests that the anomalies exposed by JWST may be more fully understood by integrating both logical and intuitive modes of knowing. This integration could mark a transition as momentous as the Copernican or Einsteinian revolutions—not just in what we know, but in how we know.
6. Conclusion: Toward a Unified Theory of Knowing
The Geometry of Reality, structured by the triadic IRVSE mechanism, reveals that the universe is accessible via at least two irreducible paths: (1) through structured emergence and interpretation, and (2) through direct resonance with potential. The commutativity condition IRVSE(3) = IRVSE(2) ∘ IRVSE(1) formalizes this dual access. In light of the epistemic challenges posed by the JWST, this may herald the beginning of a new, pluralistic, and integrative science—one that fuses logic with intuition, analysis with awareness, and form with meaning.
Keywords:
James Webb Space Telescope, Geometry of Reality, IRVSE, epistemology, Peircean semiotics, multiverse, intuition, commutativity, paradigm shift