3 The Fragmented Process: Identity and Partial Construal

In our last post, we introduced the Observer Process, showing how perspective and reflection create epistemic horizons that make time, space, and coherence legible. Now, we turn to a subtler scenario: the Fragmented Process — a single process that appears divided into separate threads or aspects, each partially coherent on its own.

Fragmentation as Relational Differentiation

Imagine a process, P, which unfolds in multiple “threads” simultaneously:

• Each thread carries part of the process’s state but does not fully determine the whole.

• No single thread represents the process completely; identity emerges only across the alignment of threads.

• The relational field is crucial: the coherence of P is constructed through the cuts made across its fragments.

Implications

• Fragmentation illustrates that individuation is not inherent. Identity is relational, arising from how threads are construed relative to one another and to other processes.

• Partial construals allow distributed coherence, which can illuminate social, cognitive, or symbolic systems where processes are inherently multi-faceted.

• Observers (like process O) can perceive some threads and not others, showing that what is construed depends on perspective and alignment.

Looking Ahead

The Fragmented Process prepares us for the next thought experiment: the Collective Process, where many interacting processes form a coherent field. Here, we will explore how collective behaviour, emergent norms, and coordinated action arise from relational alignment.