Structure, state and bearing capacity: An ontological framework of stability in stratified systems

This article develops an ontological framework for analysing stability and change in complex, stratified systems. It starts from the distinction between structure and state, whereas a state denotes a concrete configuration of manifestation, whereas structure denotes the order of relations and mechanisms that determines the space of possible states. The article introduces the concept of bearing capacity as a criterion for assessing the quality of structural relations, understood as the capacity of a system to sustain stable regimes without continuous compensatory interventions. Stability is thereby distinguished from the mere repetition of outcomes, and change from the variation of states. The proposed framework makes it possible to differentiate changes of state, adaptations, and structural changes according to their ontological scope.