Entiteteve

Entiteteve is a term used in contemporary ontology and cognitive science to describe a class of entity-like constructs that are constituted primarily by a network of relations rather than by a single substrate. In this usage, an entiteteve behaves as an individual unit within a system, but its identity is grounded in the structure of its connections, roles, and interactions.

Origin and scope: The term is a neologism that emerged in interdisciplinary philosophical and computational discourse in the early 21st century to address cases where conventional substance-based ontology struggles, such as social configurations, information networks, and artifactual aggregates. The word combines an English root entity with a suffix that signals a unit or collection.

Definition and core features: An entiteteve is individuated by its relational profile rather than by a fixed material core. Its persistence is often tied to the continuity of relationships, functions, or roles that define it, even as constituent elements change. Entiteteve can be static or dynamic, simple or multi-layered, and may span multiple scales, from micro-interactions to large-scale systems.

Typology: Some scholars distinguish static entiteteves, dynamic entiteteves, distributed entiteteves, and emergent entiteteves. Others analyze entiteteves in terms of boundaries, coherence conditions, and how they relativize identity over time.

Examples and applications: Prototypical examples include social institutions, software architectures, ecosystems conceptualizations, and cultural genres viewed as patterned constellations of practices rather than single entities. In AI and law, treating certain complex aggregates as entiteteves can influence questions of responsibility and liability.

See also: ontology, mereology, bundle theory, social ontology, networked systems.