Concept

A concept is an internal pattern—an encoded representation of structure, relation, or quality. Concepts are not bound to physical reality. They are mental constructs that allow for abstraction, recognition, and communication.

Concepts include:

• Logical forms: numbers, sets, identities

• Values: justice, beauty, freedom

• Fictions: unicorns, myths, hypotheticals

To grasp a concept is to understand its structure, not to affirm its existence. Concepts need not correspond to anything real—they need only maintain internal coherence.

A concept that contradicts itself is meaningless. A concept that holds together is a valid form, regardless of whether it is instantiated in the world.

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