Canonical Definitions

Introduction

This page contains the canonical vocabulary of Meaning System Science, Moral Physics, and Transformation Science. Each definition is maintained by the Transformation Management Institute and serves as a formal entity within the discipline. Together, these terms form the scientific, structural, and practical architecture of the field.

PART I: Core Scientific Terms

These terms define the theoretical backbone of Meaning System Science.

Meaning System Science

The scientific study of how meaning behaves as a structural, proportional, thermodynamic system.
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Moral Physics

The physics branch of MSS, modeling the lawlike behavior of meaning under pressure.
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Transformation Science

The integrative discipline explaining drift, coherence, alignment, and meaning behavior during system change.
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Proportionism

The interpretive stance that reads system behavior through proportional relationships among meaning forces.
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Law of Moral Proportion

The proportional law describing legitimacy as L = (T × P × C) ÷ D.
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Legitimacy Equation

The mathematical expression of legitimacy used across MSS, Moral Physics, and diagnostics.
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PART II: Foundational Sciences

These are the scientific domains that MSS draws from and synthesizes.

Semantics (Truth Fidelity)

The study of meaning accuracy, truth correspondence, and linguistic fidelity.
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Semeiology (Signal Behavior)

The study of signs, signals, and meaning transmission.
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Systems Theory (Structural Coherence)

The study of how structures and processes generate orderly behavior.
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Thermodynamics of Meaning

The study of entropy, pressure, and energy flow as they apply to meaning systems.
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Affective Science (Regulation)

The study of emotional dynamics and their impact on behavior and meaning.
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PART III: Professional Standards & Methods

These terms define the applied discipline of Transformation Management.

The 3E Standard™

The professional standard defining legitimate transformation and structural proportion.
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The 3E Method™

The practical method that applies MSS and the Standard to everyday decisions.
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Legitimacy Diagnostic Protocol (LDP-1.0)

The diagnostic framework that measures truth integrity, power alignment, structural coherence, and drift.
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Moral Gravity

The intuitive “sixth sense” that detects proportional alignment and reveals when meaning is stable, distorted, or collapsing.
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PART IV: Structural Forces & Variables

These are the fundamental variables in the Legitimacy Equation and MSS.

Legitimacy (L)

The proportional stability of a meaning system: how truth, power, and coherence reinforce one another relative to drift.
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Truth Integrity (T)

The fidelity of information to reality and its transmission across the system.
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Power Alignment (P)

The responsiveness of authority and signals to verified truth.
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Coherence Coefficient (C)

The measurable strength of structural clarity and alignment.
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Drift Index (D)

The intensity and velocity of drift acting on a system.
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Affective Regulation (A)

How emotional patterns stabilize or destabilize meaning.
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PART V: Supporting Concepts

These concepts refine and deepen the discipline’s internal architecture.

Drift Catalysts

Patterns that accelerate drift, distortion, and meaning breakdown.
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Coherence Regulators

Patterns that maintain or restore coherence in meaning systems.
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Meaning Entropy

The natural degradation and dissipation of meaning under pressure.
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Operating Rhythm

The cadence of renewal and continuity that maintains system coherence.
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Governance Alignment

The proportional relationship between authority, decisions, and truth.
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Signal Behavior

How signals—messages, actions, decisions—move through and shape the meaning system.
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Truth Fidelity

The clarity and purity of information as it moves across the system.
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Meaning System Topology

The structural “shape” of a meaning system and how forces flow within it.
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Structural Integrity

The system’s ability to maintain proportional relationships under stress.
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PART VI: Applied Context & Practice

These terms situate MSS within the real world.

Transformation Management

The applied discipline that implements MSS and Moral Physics within organizations.
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AI-Accelerated Environments

Contexts where signals outpace interpretation and structural drift intensifies.
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Organizational Drift

The accumulated internal distortion, overload, and inconsistency in organizations.
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Meaning Collapse

The breakdown of shared meaning leading to confusion, paralysis, or fragmentation.
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