Networks of Readiness: Inclination, Ability, and the Dynamics of Potential: 5 Towards a Relational Theory of Action

The preceding posts have traced a path from the static potential of system networks to dynamic, agent-oriented readiness:

• Post 1: Nodes and pathways as loci of readiness (inclination + ability)

• Post 2: Choice as alignment of readiness

• Post 3: Topologies of readiness across domains

• Post 4: Dynamics of readiness — feedback, reinforcement, and inhibition

In this final post, we synthesise these insights into a relational theory of action, showing how actualisation emerges from the interplay of relational topology, readiness, and temporal dynamics.

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1. Action as perspectival alignment

Action occurs where readiness aligns:

• Inclination + Ability → High Readiness → Actualisation

Every instance of action — whether a word spoken, a cell differentiating, or a social event occurring — is the local convergence of potential and preparedness.

• This explains why some possibilities remain unrealised: the system lacks alignment along the readiness vector.

• It preserves relational ontology: the “cut” or actualisation is perspectival, dependent on system and context.

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2. Networks as relational scaffolds

The system network provides the architecture for action:

• Nodes define regions of potential stabilisation.

• Pathways constrain the flow of actualisation.

• Readiness vectors weight the likelihood of each path being realised.

• Dynamics shift readiness over time through feedback, reinforcement, and inhibition.

Together, these elements form a scaffolded landscape, where actualisation is both constrained and enabled by relational structure.

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3. Cross-domain unification

Language:

• Speaking, writing, and constructing meaning are all actualisations of readiness in a relational network of grammar and social context.

Biology:

• Differentiation and morphogenesis are guided by cellular readiness, shaped by signalling, environment, and temporal feedback.

Social systems:

• Collective action emerges where motivation and capacity align across participants, mediated by norms and institutions.

Physics:

• Transitions between stable states occur where systemic stability and accessibility converge — the “readiness” of the system to actualise particular configurations.

Across domains, the same relational principle applies: action is the alignment of readiness within a structured network of potential.

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4. Emergence, adaptation, and learning

The relational theory of action also explains emergence and adaptation:

• Feedback loops redistribute readiness, reinforcing successful pathways and inhibiting less viable ones.

• Networks adapt over time, producing novel actualisations and shifting the landscape of potential.

• Learning and experience are processes of readiness alignment: increasing ability, shaping inclination, and guiding future action.

This makes the network a temporal, predictive, and explanatory model of how systems actualise potential across time and context.

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5. Conceptual payoff

By framing the system network as a model of readiness:

1. Potential becomes dynamic: readiness evolves and flows across the network.

2. Choice becomes emergent: action arises perspectivally, through alignment rather than external imposition.

3. Networks unify domains: language, life, society, and physics all conform to the same relational logic.

4. Actualisation is relational and scalable: from individual words to social institutions, the same principles govern the emergence of instances from potential.

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6. Closing reflection

The Networks of Readiness series transforms the system network from a map of abstract potential into a dynamic model of action:

• Nodes and pathways are loci of readiness

• Choice is alignment of inclination and ability

• Topologies shape which pathways are accessible

• Dynamics redistribute readiness over time

In doing so, the network becomes more than a linguistic tool: it is a relational framework for understanding action, emergence, and adaptation across domains.

The relational theory of action thus unites ontology, semiotics, biology, social systems, and physics under a single, coherent principle: actualisation occurs where readiness aligns within the relational topology of potential.