Observer vs Object – A Cross-Domain Conceptual Link
April 10, 2025•330 words
Observer vs Object – A Cross-Domain Conceptual Link
1. Grammatical Domain
| Term | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| I | First person | Always subject |
| You | Second person | Subject or object |
| He/She/It | Third person | Can be subject or object |
Link: Grammatical subject ≠ philosophical subject necessarily.
2. Logic & Set Theory
| Concept | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Subject | The entity that asserts, observes, or acts |
| Object | The entity that is asserted about |
| Relation | A mapping from subject to object |
| Domain | Set of possible subjects |
| Range | Set of possible objects |
Link: Observation = a relation between subject and object
→ Example: observe(John, apple) maps John (subject) to apple (object)
3. Philosophy (Phenomenology / Epistemology)
| Viewpoint | Conceptual Mapping |
|---|---|
| First-Person | Self is subject; all else is object |
| Third-Person | Others are observable objects, even if sentient |
| Intentionality | Consciousness is always "of" something (the object) |
Link: A being is a subject only in its own frame of reference.
4. Computer Science / AI
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Agent | Autonomous entity that can act/observe |
| Environment | Everything external to the agent |
| Sensor/Percept | Mechanism for observation |
Link: Agent = subject; Environment = object
→ Subjectivity modeled as agent-based system
5. Cognitive Science
| Concept | Role |
|---|---|
| Self-model | Internal representation of one's own agency |
| Theory of Mind | Recognizing others as subjects with mental states |
| Perspective | Determines subject-object split |
Link: Awareness of observation implies meta-subjectivity
Summary Link Tree
Grammatical Subject
↓
Logical Subject → Relational Mapping → Object
↓
Philosophical Subject (First-person)
↓
Cognitive Agent → Perceives → Object/World
↓
AI Agent → Uses Sensors → Observes Objects