Mentics Glossary

RECIPROCAL

Definition

Reciprocal, adj.. The property of the merge link-mode that relates a whole with its group of parts, and a group of parts with their whole.

Comments

Reciprocal applies only to the concurrent form of equality. Merge link-mode is transitive, and also is reciprocal. Thus in a thing-tree, each subordinate layer is equal to the top whole and to each other layer all the way down to the baseline that they all share. See direction. A link is directional, for a part cannot have or know a whole. However, a whole knows its parts individually and collectively. The group of the collective parts is equal to its whole (see group-equality) and reflects it as if its thing were an identity. Thus a group defines a whole. See Table 3, Link-loop.