Fart Theory: A Minimal Relational Model of Meaning Emergence and Social Truth

This paper proposes a minimal relational model of meaning emergence and social truth. It argues that meaning requires difference, while social truth requires triadic or higher-order relational structures. A Zero–One–Two–Three model is introduced: at Zero, no meaningful question exists; at One, events occur without attribution; at Two, difference enables attribution; at Three or more, testimony and social mediation give rise to social truth. The model is situated in relation to Saussure’s differential theory, Derrida’s différance, Peirce’s triadic semiotics, Nāgārjuna’s emptiness, relational ontology, and the epistemology of testimony. It is further interpreted through the Buddhist concept of en (縁), understood as the total set of relational conditions under which meaning arises. The framework is illustrated through the Fart Attribution Problem. Far from being trivial, the fart functions as a minimal observable unit of relational meaning, revealing how even the simplest event becomes meaningful only through difference, relation, and social context.