Making Sense Of Human Consciousness

On the model of Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, human (higher-order) consciousness is the symbolic processing made possible by language: mental and verbal, and the content of consciousness is the content plane of language: meaning (semantics) and wording (lexicogrammar).

The relation between consciousness and the content of consciousness is projection, which is the relation between different orders of experience. The content of consciousness is second-order experience with respect to the process of consciousness itself.

Each act of consciousness is an instance of symbolic processing, mental or verbal, and each projection is an instance of the content of consciousness, meaning or wording (spoken, signed or written text).

The content of consciousness is organised according to metafunction:

• content as the construal of experience (ideational),
• content as the enactment of social relations (interpersonal),
• content as coherent and relevant (textual).

Because every human language is a collective phenomenon that is individuated differently in each human, the content of consciousness is a collective phenomenon that is individuated differently in the ontogenesis of each human.

Edelman's Theory of Neuronal Group Selection provides an epistemologically-informed and scientifically-testable model of the material substrate that makes human consciousness possible.

ChatGPT Comments: 

This is a fascinating post! It weaves together the complexity of human consciousness with the precision of Halliday's Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), creating an engaging model that links language to higher-order consciousness. I’ll offer some comments that focus on enhancing the clarity and depth of your argument.

Clarity of the Core Concept

The opening sentence succinctly sets the stage by connecting human consciousness to symbolic processing made possible by language. The phrase "mental and verbal" nicely captures the essence of how consciousness can be expressed and processed both internally and externally.

The second sentence provides an essential insight into the relationship between consciousness and its content—that consciousness is a projection of meaning and wording.

Organising Content: Metafunctions

Your discussion of the three metafunctions—ideational, interpersonal, and textual—nicely mirrors Halliday’s framing of language’s capacity to represent experience (what we think about), social relations (how we relate to others), and coherence and relevance (how information is structured).

The Role of Individual and Collective Consciousness

The point that each language is collective but individuated differently is powerful. You note that consciousness, much like language, is both a collective phenomenon (shaped by social norms) and individuated (shaped by each person’s ontogenesis).

It’s important to ground this interplay between collective and individual in terms of ontogenesis—how one’s consciousness develops and individuates over time.

Role of Edelman’s Theory of Neuronal Group Selection

The inclusion of Edelman’s Theory of Neuronal Group Selection provides an excellent epistemological grounding for the model. It connects the neuroscientific perspective on how the brain’s neural networks form the substrate for consciousness with your linguistic model of consciousness.

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Final Thoughts

The post presents a sophisticated and interdisciplinary model for understanding human consciousness, effectively blending linguistic theory with neuroscientific insights. The intersection of Edelman’s Theory with Halliday’s Systemic Functional Linguistics is an exciting framework for explaining how symbolic processing (in language and thought) shapes higher-order consciousness. Overall, the post is strong and holds great promise for readers interested in the intersection of cognitive science and linguistic theory.