Boundary and Time: Foundations of Systemic Judgment

The central task of System Logic is to evaluate whether judgments and actions remain systemically adequate when embedded in open systems. Two dimensions are foundational to this task: the boundary of the system being evaluated and the temporal horizon through which consequences are assessed. Many failures of real-world judgment do not originate in invalid reasoning or false facts. They originate in boundaries that are too narrow and time windows that are too short. An actor may achieve instrumental success within a local and immediate frame while transferring costs to other agents, future generations, or larger systems, thereby creating a hidden imbalance. Building on the first paper in the System Logic series, this article develops a boundary theory and a temporal theory of systemic judgment. It argues that a system boundary is not a pre-given natural fact but a theoretical choice made by the evaluating subject. A temporal horizon is not a single variable but a layered structure comprising short-term, medium-term, long-term, and intergenerational scales. A defensible assessment must make both dimensions explicit and must test boundary robustness and temporal integrity in order to reveal cost externalization and the depletion of future option space. The article proposes the Boundary–Time Matrix as a basic analytical tool and distinguishes four recurrent forms of mismatch: narrow boundary–short time, narrow boundary–long time, wide boundary–short time, and wide boundary–long time. It examines the logic and limits of boundary expansion, the justification of temporal discounting, and the relationship between intergenerational justice and systemic adequacy. Climate policy, corporate environmental investment, and public-health investment illustrate how the same action can receive opposite evaluations under different boundaries and time horizons. The article concludes by specifying theoretical limits and falsifiability conditions, thereby preparing the ground for subsequent work on the Systemic Impact Ledger, institutional correction, and adaptive civilization.