What are ontological primitives?

Ontological primitives are the essences from which our actions and behaviors arise. They are the smallest building blocks of ontological base understandings (regarding the nature of reality & being), meaning that they cannot be broken down into anything smaller. Ontological primitives are:

  • values
  • purpose
  • sense of the sacred

(McGilchrist 2021) - here is a scattered set of notes that includes this idea: 🔮 MCGILCHRIST2021-VID

I have recently come to realize that whenever I connect deeply with other humans, I overlap in the three areas mentioned above: values, purpose, and what we hold sacred.

Below is an illustration which draws an analogy between the recreation of DNA in its fruits and the recreation of values that re-emerge in our social structures. This illustration is a work in progress. I don’t consider it perfect and am trying to fine-tune it. Let me know if you have ideas to make it more concrete (or don’t understand my overall message all together).

Insight

When we engage in work, we always build something bigger than just the project we work on. This bigger thing, then, brings forth a whole new being of existence that cannot be reduced to a piece of material creation. This energetic (non-material) creation continues to grow its ontological primitives. Therefore, it matters more that we pay attention to the space we create rather than the outcomes of them.

This also leads me to the realization that it is more important that we do the work in a caring & loving environment and with good energy & intentions rather than focus on our productivity and doing “enough.”

See 🔮 MMSSocialReproductionB for ways in which current paradigms re-appear in (engineering) education.

🔮 AUTOPOIESIS-A for the concept of re-creation.

#ontological_primitives #values #education


ID ONTOLOGICAL-PRIMITIVES