Semantics

1. Canonical Definition

Semantics is the scientific domain that studies how meaning corresponds to reference conditions through truth constraints. Within Meaning System Science, Semantics defines the structural criteria for truth fidelity (T) by establishing how accuracy, reference, and verification determine whether meaning remains consistent across interpreters, contexts, and time.

2. Featured Lineage: Foundational Thinkers

Alfred Tarski — The Semantic Conception of Truth (1944)
Established that truth is correspondence between statements and the conditions they describe. MSS extends this by treating truth fidelity (T) as a measurable variable governing interpretive reliability.

Donald Davidson — Inquiries into Truth and Interpretation (1984)
Showed that shared interpretation depends on stable reference conditions across contexts. MSS applies this insight by defining reference fidelity as a structural requirement for coordinated action.

3. Plainly

Semantics studies what statements mean and how we determine whether they correspond to the conditions they refer to. It explains how information remains consistent across people and situations and why unclear definitions generate interpretive inconsistency.

4. Scientific Role in Meaning System Science

Semantics provides the structural basis for truth fidelity (T).
It defines:

• how correspondence to reference conditions is established

• how reference remains stable, and

• how verification maintains interpretive reliability.

Without semantic clarity, the other MSS variables cannot sustain consistent interpretation.

5. Relationship to the Variables (T, P, C, D, A)

• T — Truth Fidelity: Semantics establishes the criteria for correspondence and reference that constitute T.

• P — Signal Alignment: Alignment requires semantic clarity so signals express consistent meaning.

• C — Structural Coherence: Coherence depends on shared definitions that allow meaning to transmit reliably.

• D — Drift: Semantic inconsistency increases contradiction, raising the rate at which D accumulates.

• A — Affective Regulation: Capacity determines whether semantic ambiguity is corrected or deferred.

6. Relationship to the First Law of Moral Proportion

L = (T × P × C) / D

Semantics strengthens legitimacy (L) by increasing the accuracy and reliability of T.
When semantic reference becomes inconsistent, T decreases and proportional stability declines.

7. Application in Transformation Science

Transformation Science uses Semantics to analyze how interpretive reliability changes when accuracy, reference, or verification conditions weaken.
Semantic inconsistency is often the earliest indicator that variable relationships are moving outside proportional ranges.

8. Application in Transformation Management

Practitioners use Semantics to:

• clarify definitions and expectations,

• reduce ambiguity in decision pathways,

• ensure consistent interpretation across roles, and

• stabilize communication during complex change.

Semantic precision is foundational for diagnostics, governance modeling, and operating model design.

9. Example Failure Modes

• Key terms are interpreted differently across roles, reducing T and lowering L.

• Signals use identical wording but reference different conditions, disrupting P.

• Structural pathways distribute information inconsistently due to ambiguous definitions, reducing C.

• Contradictory interpretations accumulate because semantic ambiguity remains uncorrected.

10. Canonical Cross-References

Meaning System Science • Semeiology • Physics of Becoming • Truth Fidelity (T) • Signal Alignment (P) • Structural Coherence (C) • Drift (D) • Affective Regulation (A) • 3E Standard™ • LDP-1.0