Part I: Foundations

Enacted Truth

Introduction
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Enacted Truth

Truth is enacted rather than passively discovered. The true model at scale σ\sigma is the one that best compresses the interaction history at that scale:

Truthσ(W)=argminWMσLpred(W,interaction history)\text{Truth}_\sigma(\mathcal{W}) = \arg\min_{\mathcal{W}' \in \mathcal{M}_\sigma} \mathcal{L}_{\text{pred}}(\mathcal{W}', \text{interaction history})

where Mσ\mathcal{M}_\sigma is the space of models expressible at scale σ\sigma.

This is not mere instrumentalism. The enacted truth must:

  1. Predict accurately (correspondence constraint)
  2. Cohere internally (coherence constraint)
  3. Preserve viability (pragmatic constraint)

For self-maintaining systems, truth-seeking and viability-preservation converge in the long run:

limtWviability=limtWprediction\lim_{t \to \infty} \mathcal{W}^*_{\text{viability}} = \lim_{t \to \infty} \mathcal{W}^*_{\text{prediction}}

A model that systematically misrepresents the world will eventually lead to viability failure.