# Object oriented systems ## Summary **Object-oriented systems** organize the world into discrete, self-contained “objects” that hold identity, behavior, and relationships. This structure is widely used in programming—but also shapes how we design brands, systems, knowledge models, and even metaphysics. ## Definition An object-oriented system is one in which **entities are treated as modular units**, each with their own properties and methods. These units can be composed, nested, inherited, and interacted with—forming systems through their relationships rather than global logic. Originating in software (Object-Oriented Programming), this paradigm also echoes in: - **Brand strategy**: brands as objects with encapsulated values, voice, behaviors - **Ontology**: objects as irreducible units of being (Object-Oriented Ontology) - **System design**: where we model domains by naming and structuring their objects The key insight: we often think *through* objecthood—assigning boundaries, roles, and interfaces to abstract or fluid things. ## Properties - **Encapsulation**: objects contain internal state; complexity is hidden behind interfaces - **Modularity**: objects are composable, reusable, and often hierarchical - **Agency-by-design**: objects are treated as autonomous agents with behavior - **Abstraction**: object models simplify or constrain the richness of what they represent - **Ontological flattening**: making things legible by turning them into entities ## Related Ideas - [[thinking/concepts/reification]]: turning concepts into structured “objects” for action or design - [[ontology]]: object-oriented systems imply a particular ontological stance - [[Legibility]]: object orientation increases clarity at the cost of nuance - Systems thinking: contrast with relational or emergent models - Object-Oriented Ontology (Harman, Bogost): all things exist equally as objects - Object-Oriented Programming (OOP): metaphor source, but also implementation model - Interface thinking: how we define boundaries and interactions between things