## 3. Core Definition: Autaxys – Fundamental Ontological Principle Within the field of autology, **autaxys** is formally defined as the fundamental principle of reality conceived as a self-ordering, self-arranging, and self-generating system. It is the inherent dynamic process by which patterns emerge, persist, and interact, giving rise to all discernible structures and phenomena. These phenomena include what is perceived by observing systems as information, as well as the regularities interpreted as physical laws, and the complex, stable patterns identified as matter, energy, space, and time. A core tenet is that autaxys operates without recourse to an external organizing agent or pre-imposed set of rules; the principles of its ordering and generation are intrinsic to its nature. This definition positions autaxys not as a substance or a static entity, but as the foundational *activity* or *dynamic potentiality* from which all structured existence arises. It is both the ultimate source of order and the ongoing process of that order manifesting and evolving. The emphasis on "system" highlights its interconnected and rule-governed nature, while "self-generating" points to its capacity to bring forth novelty and complexity from its own internal dynamics. The patterns generated by autaxys are not merely incidental byproducts but are its primary mode of expression and the basis for all knowable reality.