Essay 15-Original and Derivative Objects

Introduction

In essay 7, essay 9, and essay 13, we have studied the concepts of object, property, identity, and category. From the concept of property, we understand that objects are complex, but undoubtedly some objects are simpler and more fundamental than others. Such that they form 2 distinct categories of objects, original objects and derivative objects. As such this essay will discuss the concept of original and derivative objects.

Original and Derivative Objects

Understanding of original and derivative objects must be done at the same time as they are both related. Original objects are objects which are not the result of a modification of other objects. Derivative objects are objects which are the result of a modification of other objects. In other words, derivative objects can be reduced into terms of original objects, while original objects cannot be reduced into simpler terms, for they are already the most fundamental and simple of the objects.

However, it can be argued that there are no truly original objects. For each object is composed of 2 parts, the fundamental or existential part and the essential part. Fundamental and essential seems to be synonymous, but in this case, they have different connotations. Fundamental refers to the fundaments of existence, as the fundaments of each object is as an object or as a part of existence. Essential refers to the essence of an object, that is what differentiates a particular object from other objects, what makes an object itself and not another object.

The fundamental part is composed of several properties as has been discussed in essay 12 regarding the eternity of existence. The fact is each object is composed of the derivation of these properties, as it is a collection of these properties. As such, all objects are derivative objects, even the properties are themselves derivative. However, when speaking of originality and derivation, we analyse it from the essential perspective which gives us more meaning and information.

From an essential perspective, original objects are present along with derivative objects. There are indeed objects which are potentially irreducible and becomes the basis of derivative objects. It is best to understand this from an abstract and a concrete example. Let us take an abstract example, let us say that there are A, B, and C. They are all original objects, meaning they are not a derivation of other objects, nor are they derived from each other.

Then we have the derivative objects which might be 2A, A+B, or 3C+2A, and so on. If we examine those derivations, they are all derivations of quantity. In a spatial environment it might be a spatial derivation, such as Ar2 which means A rotated twice, or (A+B)(1,2) which means the system of A+B at that particular coordinate. Of course, spatial modifications count as properties as determined by essay 14 about extrinsic properties.

For a more concrete example, let us take a soccer ball. It is clearly a derivative object, it is made of the paint, the leather (I think so), and the stitches. Paint is made out of chemical, with leather being composed of dead skin cells. They can both be broken down into atoms, subatomic particles, and finally pure energy which makes up everything. As such, the energy is the original object and the soccer ball is a multiple-layered derivation of energy as the original object. Meanwhile anything which is not pure energy is just a derivation of energy either in quantity or spatiality.

A problem arises when we consider spatial environments and objects residing in space. Between different coordinates of intrinsically identical objects, which is the original object? We can define arbitrarily that the object at (0,0) is the original object, but that’s just a relative designation, in truth any point can be (0,0). As such there are 2 potential answers which are not right or wrong.

The first answer is that all of the objects are both original and derivative objects, they are derivative in relation with each other, or they are original in relation to the derivative objects based on them. The second answer is they are all a derivation of the object itself and the spatial coordinates. As such the original objects are the spatial coordinates and the object without the spatial coordinates.

Of course, in the existential causal level, there are no derivative objects, A+B does not mean that A and B literally combines in an existential and causal level to form A+B, rather that we can analyse A+B ideally as a combination of A and B. The designation of derivative or original is only a logical description of their logical relationships to each other. Another question of how many original objects might exist, is another problem. For now, it is sufficient for us to understand that there are derivative and original objects

Conclusion

We obtain several philosophical statements as such, “Original objects are objects which essentially cannot be described as a modification of other objects,” and, “Derivative objects are objects which essentially can be described as a modification of original or other derivative objects.” For the next essay we will be discussing the specific designation of objects of absolute and relative objects. This essay is now declared to be done.

This essay corresponds to the Indonesian version.