“Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose”

Kauffman follows von Foerster in regarding stability of perceived objects as reproduced through repeated perceptual acts. Stability of the visual world, maintained through repeated eye-movements and body-movements, nicely illustrates this. Von Foerster’s seminal 1976 paper begins from Piaget’s cyclical ‘equilibration’: the progressive coordination of actions and observations, including by reciprocal assimilation of sensorimotor schemes in a spatially embodied observer. Could an object be thus constructed de novo in Euclidean 4-space by a virtually embodied being?

Spencer Brown’s “draw a distinction” results in an object being distinguished from everything else, which may then constitute a perceptual background. For example, a subset of random visual elements moving together form a distinct object (Gestalt ‘Law of Common Fate’). Stopping, they remerge into the background: the distinction dissolves.

Bleger describes the constant setting/frame ('encuadre') in psychoanalysis as the background of a Gestalt, and as a ‘non-process’. Earliest human infancy is characterised by undifferentiation and symbiosis with a primitive nucleus which survives in adults as the psychotic part of the personality (Bion). Repeatedly deposited in the setting, this iteratively reproduces a world phantasised as unchanging: an eigenform that only exists unconsciously and sooner or later gets broken.

Some common themes will be explored.

B.A. in Philosophy & Psychology, Oxford (1968-71); graduate research at Edinburgh, Oxford, & Warwick (1971-79); Lecturer in Psychology, Manchester (1979-2003); trained at Institute of Psychoanalysis, London (1989-97); private psychoanalytic practice, Manchester (until 2013).

More info: pep-web.org

A Stroll Through Unary Logic

Unary Logic is the first of a series of books on using the Laws of Form to reconstruct the formal foundations of symbolic logic and computation, to be published in June 2026. A few small modifications to Spencer-Brown’s work creates a boundary logic grounded in potential relevance rather than in truth and falsity. Deletion and creation replace the linear symbolic transformations of logic. Independence of forms and semipermeability of boundaries facilitate asynchronous parallelism in computation. Overt recognition and participation of a human sentience allows optimization to move forward by imagination rather than symbol manipulation. These modifications lead to a diversity of new techniques for logical deduction and for computer software and hardware. The presentation will be open ended, following audience interests in topics of distinction; algebra based on void-equivalence and semipermeability; reconstruction of the historic axiomatic foundations of logic; asynchronous visualization of logical consequences; and new deductive techniques for elementary logic, for constraint-based reasoning, for optimization of silicon circuitry, and for postsymbolic rationality.

I’ve been working with Laws of Form, both professionally and personally for 50 years. My focus has been on research and applications of Spencer-Brown’s work to commercial products in hardware and software design.

More info: iconicmath.com

A Form of Theory Development:
Using Presuppositions and the Form of Distinction to Further Develop Theories

In scientific inquiry, theories play a central role. If their further development is to count as a key driver of scientific progress, a fundamental question arises: Can theory development itself be given a systematic form – a Form of Theory Development? This paper proposes initial steps towards a systematic framework for theory development inspired by George Spencer-Brown’s Laws of Form. Conceiving existing theories as constellations of distinctions already drawn, theory development can be understood as a principled transformation of these constellations: through introducing new distinctions, revising or suspending established ones, or combining both operations. The attempt to proceed in a structured and non-arbitrary manner raises a crucial challenge: What can provide a reasonable guideline for researchers in choosing the distinctions with which they operate? To address this challenge, the paper turns to the Form of Distinction and to the analysis of presuppositions as both conceptual and procedural starting points. Presuppositions are understood as assumptions implicitly given and taken for granted in the act of drawing distinctions. While the analysis of presuppositions can itself be reconstructed as an introduction of further distinctions and thus be described within the calculus of indications, it nevertheless provides a promising heuristic for identifying and critically selecting distinctions in processes of theory development. Taken together, this paper outlines a first proposal for a Form of Theory Development that draws on Laws of Form and is complemented by a systematic practice of presupposition analysis.

Dominik Kemmer is a psychologist, philosopher, contract lecturer, and PhD candidate at Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna. He researches theory construction in psychology and works as self-employed organizational consultant and coach.

More info: www.researchgate.net/profile/Dominik-Kemmer-2

Laws of Form and Polycontextural Logic:
The Transjunctive Operation in Architectural Reuse

Abstract

Alexander Tsigkas is a retired professor and a practitioner systems architect passionate about innovative and sustainable design. Tsigkas focuses on applying design thinking and integrating agile methodologies into architectural practices. He enhances organisational viability in the architectural domain with expertise in the viable system model. His work reflects a deep understanding of the philosophical dimensions of architecture, coupled with practical experience in creating live, vibrant, and adaptable places. In recent years, Tsigkas has researched logic-based and OOO-based AI for their use in architectural design and is committed to research for design excellence. AI is just one mechanism in that direction.

More info: www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexander-Tsigkas

The Mark in the Mesh:
Ecological Hyper-Knots in Laws of Form

Abstract

Steven Watson is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. His research uses transdisciplinary approaches, his current focus is on the philosophy and sociology of technology, and in particular the role of generative AI in education and society. While his research is strongly theoretical, he integrates this with contextual empirical research and development. His previous professions include secondary school mathematics teacher and telecommunications engineer. He holds degrees in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, a Masters in Education from the Open University and a PhD Education from the University of Nottingham.

More info: faculty.educ.cam.ac.uk/people/staff/watson