Readers of The Infinite Staircase (who are not many but whom I highly esteem) will know that it describes reality as constituted not of two but rather of eleven separate levels. At the bottom of the staircase is physics, all matter, no mind. At the top is theory, all mind, no matter. But there are nine layers in between, and here is the amazing thing. Each one is not only distinctly separable from the one above and below it, it is also defined by what I will call a characteristic attribute.
Now, getting that characteristic attribute right is no small feat, so consider the following a first cut at something that undoubtedly can be improved upon. (Start at the bottom and work your way up the staircase.)
All theories are comprehen5ive
All analytics are categorical.
All narratives are temporal.
All languages are symbolic.
All cultures are imitational.
All value are socio.
All consciousness is electrical.
All desire is hormonal
All biology is cellular.
All chemistry is electromagnetic
All physics is atomic
OK, I am not crazy about the word imitational, but setting that aside, this list specifies an amazing amount of structure in a relatively confined space. All the italicized words represent fruitful fields of study in themselves, and taken together might constitute a Masters Degree in Reality.
Needless to say, every one of these claims is debatable, so let me just close by saying,
That’s what I think. What do you think?