A Meta-Design Theory of the Universe: Units, Recursion, and Combination

Abstract: This paper proposes a meta-theoretical framework for understanding the structure of the universe and the generation of complexity, termed the Unit Recursive Design Theory. According to this theory, all things in the universe may be understood through three interrelated basic principles: unit as the fundamental bearer of existence, recursion as the universal mode of structural generation, and combination as the principal mechanism through which complexity emerges. On this basis, the paper attempts to construct a unified explanatory model extending from the microscopic to the macroscopic, and from natural systems to social systems, in order to illustrate how multi-level structures are formed, evolve, and maintain their relative independence. The paper further advances the idea of emergence within the unit, attempting to interpret such basic concepts as time, space, mass, and field as attributes generated in the course of a unit’s operation, rather than as presupposed premises. To clarify this point, the paper introduces the analytical frameworks of M-W spacetime and four-layer spacetime, and discusses the relations of hierarchical contraction and unfolding from physical phenomena to physical essence, and from mathematical representation to the starting point of “0.” On this basis, it seeks to explain the internal connection among the universe as a whole, unit structure, and modes of cognition. This paper emphasizes that the present theory is not intended as a direct replacement for existing physical laws, but rather as an attempt to provide a higher-level ontological and methodological perspective for rethinking time, space, matter, hierarchy, combination, and their unity. Through the framework of unit–recursion–combination, the paper hopes to offer a holistic interpretive path for the study of complex systems, philosophy of science, and interdisciplinary research.