The_Navigation_Thesis_v1.0
Abstract
This paper proposes that three apparently distinct scientific mysteries - the emergence of purpose from purposeless matter, the emergence of consciousness from non-conscious substrates, and the emergence of subjectivity from objective processes - are artifacts of disciplinary vocabulary rather than features of reality. It introduces the Navigation Thesis: all physical systems are characterized by state-space trajectory-following under constraint gradients (navigation). It also posit that navigation carries an intrinsic aspect (Axiom P0: the "is-ness" of state-transition), which is fundamental, not emergent. What varies across systems is the organization of navigation, formalized through two primary axes: Organized Persistence (OP) and Unity (U). The framework dissolves the hard problem of consciousness by rejecting its premise, and proposes a speculative but falsifiable extension to quantum measurement.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Philosophy and Theoretical Science
Complex Systems and Dynamics
Philosophy and History of Science
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 30 January 2026
- Language
- EN