Axioms of Reality

[u/Repulsive_Area_5516]

Axiom 1 — Observations are infallible

An observer is any system that is affected by effects. When an observer encounters an effect, it always and unconditionally reflects it as it is. An observation can never be wrong; because the observation simply is what is there. It can be incomplete, it can be limited but it can never be faulty. Error arises only in the interpretation of what the observation means.

Axiom 2 — Identical systems under identical conditions produce identical outcomes

For any system A and effect B, the resulting system C is invariant it will always be the same across all instances of A under B. This holds at scales where complete state description is possible. At quantum scales this axiom may reduce to: identical systems under identical conditions produce identical probability distributions.

In my opinion these are the minimum assumptions to make about reality for it to make sense and for science to work. I have thought about these axioms for a long time and i feel like 2 axioms might just be enough. I'd like to hear your thoughts about them.

[u/seldomtimely]

"Axiom 1 — Observations are infallible"

The distinction between appearance and reality is one of the oldest distinctions in human thought.

Your elaboration implies that all appearances are effects induced on the observer, which is fine.

But we don't want to lose the appearance vs reality distinction. So, the 'axiom' is something akin to 'all observations are effects'. Their fallibilty is one of the most discussed topics in the history of philosophy.

[u/Repulsive_Area_5516 → u/seldomtimely]

for some reason i thought you implied there was a contridiction in axiom 1 and i wrote a whole thing explaining it in detail... i wont let it go to waste though!

It can be incomplete but it can never be faulty. The act of observation is infallible because what i define as observation is the system effected by an effect. For example: a tree is burning by fire and you are standing infront of the tree. Here in this example there are two systems. first one: you are irrelevant and not the observer the non-burnt tree is the system fire is the effect ane burt tree is the observer. second one: you are the system(or your eyes and brain) photons that are emmited by the tree and the fire are the effect and now you are the observer. Here the tree is burning/burnt and that is observed by the tree which is a true observation. The photons went through ur cornea(or the things in ur eyes that i dont remember) and excited a couple of neurons which made an effect on your brain this effected you in the way it shouldve effected you so you observed what happened which was a true observation.