A Relation-First Framework for Temporal Systems

This paper develops a relational method for explaining systems whose identity unfolds 
through time. Standard object-first models treat objects as the basic units of analysis and explain 
change by adding internal features or temporal extensions. I argue that this approach 
systematically misrepresents temporal phenomena by assuming stability where none is primitive.
This paper introduces a minimal inversion: take relations as ontologically basic and understand 
objects as the stable appearances generated when certain relational patterns persist within a field.
This shift reframes identity, meaning, and agency as relational invariants rather than intrinsic 
properties, offering a unified account of stability and change without metaphysical inflation. I 
articulate the structure of this relation-first ontology, develop a method for identifying relational 
invariants, and show how the approach resolves familiar tensions in the analysis of temporal 
systems. The result is a simple, general framework for explaining dynamic phenomena across 
cognitive, semantic, and social domains.