A composable ontology framework for AI agents and human systems.
An existence kernel is a minimal set of universal terms that ground all context — from the broadest scope (Existence itself) to the narrowest (a single project). It bridges philosophy with systems thinking, giving AI agents and humans a shared vocabulary for scoping, context, and resolution.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Existence | Everything that ‘is’; the universal set containing all entities |
| Entity | Any information in Existence — abstractions, persons, systems, objects |
| Abstraction | A concept modeling something else without its complexity |
| Scope | Breadth, depth, or reach of a perspective; bounds what’s relevant |
| Context | Scope applied to abstractions; limits information needed for coherent systems |
| Resolution | Level of detail and granularity; zoom in/out to observe patterns |
| Pattern | Elements that repeat in a predictable manner; transferable across domains |
| System | An entity viewed from an internalized perspective; a whole of relationships |
| Domain | A bounded system of interest with associated language |
| Focus | Finite attention applied to a scope; enables efficient energy use |
| Perspective | A viewpoint on a system; influences reality; all entities have one |
| Consciousness | An entity’s ability to interpret relevant signals; being present |
| Evolution | How an entity alters in response to context; the universal pattern of change |
| Story | A sequence of events holding state that creates context |
Three concentric rings — 114 terms total:
14 universal terms, always loaded. The existential scope.
17 terms bridging the kernel to DDD and software domains.
83 philosophical and cross-domain terms. Referenced on demand.
Higher rings assume all lower rings. Each project can add domain overlays — project-specific terms that extend the kernel with scoped context.
Each level inherits from above and adds domain-specific terms. An AI agent reads the relevant scope, applies the terms, and maintains coherence across sessions.