Relational Theory： A Minimal Framework for Existence, Cosmos, and Life (v3.2)

This paper proposes a relational ontology as a framework for understanding the cosmos. It argues that the world does not consist of independent "objects," but rather of nested, interwoven, and unfolding "relations" across multiple levels. Phenomena such as time, space, evolution, and consciousness can all be understood within this unified framework. The core theses are: (1) "objects" are transiently stable configurations of relations; (2) relations are layered, with potentially dozens or even over a hundred levels from the Planck scale to the cosmic whole; (3) life and death are two directions of the same relational process, mirroring and transforming into each other; (4) basal relations never fully break, while top-level relations are always in flux; and (5) human beings, as middle-level nodes in this web, find meaning through actively participating in cross-layer relational interweaving. Science is understood here as one path to describe relations, not as the sole truth; and human value lies not in arriving at final answers, but in continuously engaging in the unfolding of relations.