The Universe as Clockwork

Metaphor: The cosmos as a vast mechanical clock, ticking away with gears and springs.

Problem: This metaphor smuggles in determinism and divine craftsmanship. It makes the universe sound like a Rolex designed by a celestial Swiss artisan. But relational processes don’t unfold like cogs grinding against each other — they actualise through contingent alignments. Clockwork implies inevitability; the cosmos, by contrast, is possibility in motion.

Relational ontology: The universe is not a machine running on preset gears but a relational field where potentials become events. It doesn’t tick predictably: it phases, shifts, and realigns in ways no horologist could blueprint.

Parody punchline: If the universe were clockwork, eclipses would come with warranties, physicists would double as watchmakers, and the Milky Way would need rewinding every leap year.