Relational Ontology of Physical Quantities: A Debugging Report from the Engineering Trenches

What is the ontological status of fundamental physical quantities such as mass, energy, and time? Moving beyond the traditional "substance" ontology, this paper undertakes a conceptual exploration from a unique, engineering-informed perspective. The author, an integrated circuit engineer specializing in entropy source decoupling, applies the paradigm of "debugging thinking"—used to analyze complex, constrained systems—to foundational physics. The core thesis is that physical quantities like E, m, ω, λ are not independent substances but mutually locked nodes within an a priori network of relations. Fundamental equations (E = mc², E = ħω, c = λν) are re-interpreted not as causal chains, but as constraints defining the topology of this network. Within this framework, the universal constants c and ħ are not mysterious empirical inputs, but structurally necessary "exchange rates" endogenously required to maintain the network's self-consistency, connecting spacetime with quantum phase. Relational Ontology and the Constraint Network This relational ontology provides a powerful lens for reinterpreting modern metrology. The 2019 revision of the International System of Units (SI) is revealed as a masterful exercise in operational reverse engineering: by fixing the most stable quantum frequency (caesium atomic transition) as a reference node and leveraging the network's inherent relation c, human civilization has effectively "decoded" and operationally interfaced with this a priori physical structure, thereby defining the second and the metre. Measurement is thus elevated from mere convention to the reading of nature's own relational blueprint, with the Planck units marking the ultimate resolution limit of any such decoding under current physical laws. Conclusion and Contribution Therefore, this paper is not a new physical theory, but a detailed report on a cross-paradigm thought experiment. It demonstrates how a methodology forged at the extreme forefront of engineering (debugging complex systems) can be successfully transferred to clarify profound conceptual issues in physics and philosophy of science, offering a novel, rigorous, and operational perspective on the relational nature of physical reality. Keywords relational ontology; constraint network; natural units; philosophy of metrology; International System of Units (SI); cross-paradigm thinking; debugging methodology; Planck units; measurability limit