In our previous post, we proposed a typology of construed realities based on the types of symbolic process that instantiate meaning. From perceptual and emotional realities to meta-cognitive and interpersonal-semiotic realities, we charted how different mental and verbal processes construe experience and meaning. In this post, we extend the model to develop a typology of semiotic instantiation.
In the systemic-functional model, meaning is reality: reality is not something we access outside meaning, but is constituted by the construal of experience through semiotic systems. It follows that just as meaning may be either potential or instance, so too may reality. In this way, instantiation is the process by which potential meaning—and therefore potential reality—is actualised.
We distinguish two main modes of instantiation:
Internal instantiation through mental processes, which construe meaning within consciousness.
External instantiation through verbal processes, which construe meaning in the interpersonal domain.
Each process type instantiates a particular kind of meaning within a particular order of reality:
| Process Type | Instantiates | Meaning Order | Mode of Instantiation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perception | Perceptual reality | First-order | Internal, non-verbal |
| Emotion | Emotional reality | First-order | Internal, non-verbal |
| Cognition (non-human) | Cognitive reality | First-order | Internal, non-verbal |
| Desideration (non-human) | Desiderative reality | First-order | Internal, non-verbal |
| Cognition (human) | Meta-cognitive reality | Second-order | Internal, projected |
| Desideration (human) | Meta-desiderative reality | Second-order | Internal, projected |
| Verbal processes | Interpersonal-semiotic reality | Second-order | External, locutional |
The table shows a natural progression from non-verbal construal of first-order meaning (phenomena) to projected and interpersonal construals of second-order meaning (metaphenomena). The critical transition is projection—the semiotic relation whereby meaning is construed as meaning. Projection is the mechanism by which meta-realities emerge.
Projection and Meta-Realities
Cognitive and desiderative processes in humans can project ideas: beliefs, suppositions, wants, obligations. When these are projected, they instantiate second-order meaning, or meta-realities. For example:
I think that he left instantiates a meta-cognitive reality (a projected proposition).
I want him to leave instantiates a meta-desiderative reality (a projected proposal).
These internal projections prepare the ground for verbal instantiation: the externalisation of meanings as locutions. It is verbal processes that bring projected meaning into the interpersonal domain. When locutions realise projected mental content, they instantiate interpersonal-semiotic reality and participate in the negotiation of meaning with others.
A projected proposition (aligned with cognition) is instantiated as a statement or question.
A projected proposal (aligned with desideration) is instantiated as a command or offer.
Verbal processes are therefore central to the interpersonal nature of consciousness: they are how the inner construal of meaning becomes part of a shared symbolic world.
Conclusion
The typology of instantiation complements our earlier typology of construed realities. Together, they provide a framework for distinguishing between different orders of meaning and the modes by which they are actualised:
First-order meaning: the construal of experience
Second-order meaning: the construal of meaning itself
In both cases, meaning becomes real through instantiation—internally, through mental processes, and externally, through verbal ones.
In upcoming posts, we will build on this foundation to explore how meaning potentials develop over time: how individuals and collectives grow symbolic repertoires through processes of individuation, variation, and learning.
Typologies of Instantiation: From Internal Construal to Interpersonal Meaning
If reality is meaning, then instantiation is the actualisation of reality from potential. In Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL), symbolic systems construe experience as meaning, and consciousness instantiates this meaning internally through mental processes and externally through verbal processes. By exploring the typology of symbolic processes, we can clarify the semiotic architecture of instantiation and deepen our understanding of how different kinds of meaning—and thus different realities—are brought into being.
Symbolic Processes and Orders of Meaning
SFL identifies four primary categories of mental process: perception, emotion, cognition, and desideration. These are internal to consciousness, and each symbolises a distinct kind of construal of experience:
Perception (e.g., 'see', 'hear') construes perceptual reality
Emotion (e.g., 'fear', 'enjoy') construes emotional reality
Cognition (e.g., 'know', 'believe') construes cognitive reality
Desideration (e.g., 'want', 'hope') construes desiderative reality
Verbal processes (e.g., 'say', 'tell') allow us to project internal construals into the interpersonal plane. Crucially, only cognitive, desiderative, and verbal processes involve projection, making it possible to construe not just first-order realities (phenomena) but second-order realities (metaphenomena)—that is, meanings about meanings.
Meaning Orders and Reality Types
We can now associate these processes with orders of meaning:
Perception and emotion instantiate first-order meaning: the construed meaning of experience (phenomena)
Cognition, desideration, and verbal processes instantiate second-order meaning: meaning about meaning (metaphenomena)
Verbal processes are unique in that they realise second-order meaning interpersonally. They project meaning outward as locutions—wordings—which may realise either propositions (aligned with cognition and modalisation) or proposals (aligned with desideration and modulation).
This projection of mental meanings as verbal locutions is crucial for the interpersonal dimension of meaning. It enables the negotiation, contestation, and alignment of construed realities in dialogue. The inner becomes outer—and open to response.
A Typology of Instantiation
From this, we can sketch a typology of instantiation across three axes:
By symbolic process:
Mental: perception, emotion, cognition, desideration
Verbal: projection of cognition and desideration
By meaning order:
First-order: construed meaning of experience (phenomena)
Second-order: construed meaning of meaning (metaphenomena)
By mode:
Internal instantiation: meaning made within consciousness
Interpersonal instantiation: meaning made through verbal interaction
Each symbolic process actualises meaning (and thus reality) from potential. And through projection, we move from first-order to second-order realities—from experiential construals to meta-semiotic ones.
Looking Ahead
If instantiation is the movement from potential reality to instance, then we may also ask: how does reality potential itself evolve or diversify? This takes us beyond instantiation to the question of individuation—how different individuals and communities come to construe different realities.
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