$ \newcommand{\Pt}{ \ \mathbb P \ } \newcommand {\cz}{\ C_z \ } \newcommand {\eps}{\ \varepsilon \ }$**Logic:** first order logic with equality **Extra-logical primitives:** - "$\varepsilon$" standing for the binary relation "is an atom part of", - a ternary relation symbol $C_z$ standing for "is connected to according to $z$". Axioms: 1. **Extensionality:** $\forall z \, ( z \eps x \leftrightarrow z \eps y ) \to x=y$. 2. **Atomicity:** $\forall x \exists y: y \eps x$. 3. **Rudimentary Membership:** $\forall y \forall x: y \eps x \to \forall z \, (z \eps y \to z=y)$. 4. **Comprehension:** $\exists y \, ( y \eps y \land \phi(y)) \to \exists x \forall y \, (y \eps x \leftrightarrow y \eps y \land \phi(y))$. Now, we can retrieve all of the known Mereological axioms about the part-hood relation $\mathbb P$ by simply defining parthood as: $$ x \Pt y \iff \forall z \eps x (z \eps y).$$ It can be easily verified that $\varepsilon$ is the atomic part-hood with respect to $\mathbb P$. We do have: $$\forall x: x \eps x \iff \forall y: y \Pt x \to y=x.$$ 5. **Atomhood:** $x \cz y \to x \eps x \land y\eps y \land z\eps z$. **Define:** $\operatorname{state}(z) \iff \exists x \exists y : x \cz y$. 6. **Reflexive:** $\operatorname{state}(z) \land x \eps x \to x \cz x $. 7. **Symmetric:** $x \cz y \to y \cz x$. 8. **States Extensionality:** $\forall \operatorname {states}z,k: \forall x \forall y \, (x \cz y \leftrightarrow x \ C_k \ y) \to z=k $. **Define:** $x \in z \iff \operatorname{state}(z) \land x \eps x \, \land \, \forall y: y \neq x \to \neg y \cz x $. **Define:** $\operatorname {contacting}_z(x) \iff \exists y: y \neq x \land x \cz y$. **Define:** $\operatorname {uniform}(z) \iff \forall x \forall y \, ( \operatorname{contacting}_z(x) \land \operatorname{contacting}_z(y) \to x \cz y)$. **Define:** $\operatorname {set} (z) \iff \operatorname {state}(z) \land \operatorname {uniform} (z)$. **Define:** $\operatorname {nse}(z) \iff z \eps z \land \neg \operatorname {set}(z) $. **Define:** $\operatorname {ur}(z) \iff \operatorname {nse}(z) \land \neg \exists x: x \in z $. / "$\operatorname {nse}$" is short for non-set element. Now, I think the above system is consistent. What it lacks is a comprehension axiom for relation $C$. I'm contemplating the following one: **Connections:** if $\phi(x,y)$ is formula that doesn't use the symbols "$C$" and "$z$", whose free variables are "$x,y,w_1,\dotsc,w_n$"; then: $$w_1 \eps w_1 \land \cdots \land w_n \eps w_n \land \forall x \forall y [\phi(x,y) \to \phi(y,x)] \\ \to \\ \exists \operatorname {state} z: \forall x \forall y \, (x \cz y \land x \neq y \leftrightarrow x \neq y \land x \eps x \land y \eps y \land \phi(x,y) ).$$ It might be possible to allow $C$ in $\phi$ but only as $C_{w_i}$. I think if the above theory is consistent then it could possibly be equal to second order arithmetic? One peculiar matter is that it does have a universal set. And, this is a suspicious feature. > Is that theory consistent? > If we allow $C$ in Connections as mentioned above would this be consistent?