2. Gravity Without Curvature — A Semiotic Reinterpretation

Relativity Reconsidered—An SFL-Informed Ontology of Space and Time

Post 2: Gravity Without Curvature — A Semiotic Reinterpretation

In the previous post, we reframed space and time as relations between instances rather than as fixed, observer-independent dimensions embedded in a four-dimensional manifold. Today, we take the next step: reconsidering gravity itself.

Gravity as a Relation of Relational Instantiation

Einstein’s general relativity revolutionised our understanding of gravity, describing it not as a force but as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass-energy. The famous image of a heavy ball deforming a stretched rubber sheet captures this intuitively.

But this metaphor—and the underlying geometric model—relies on the idea of a background manifold that can be curved. What if we step away from the assumption of a pre-existing geometric space, and instead view gravity through the lens of semiotic instantiation?

From our SFL-informed ontology, gravity is not a geometric deformation of space-time; it is a functional relation of contraction and dilation between instances of potential actualisation.

Time Dilation and Length Contraction as Semiotic Effects

Experiments confirm gravitational time dilation: clocks near a massive object run slower relative to those farther away. Similarly, objects appear contracted in space when moving at relativistic speeds.

In the geometric view, these effects arise from curved spacetime metrics. In the relational instantiation view:

• The rate of actualisation of temporal instances (what we call “time”) varies relative to the gravitational field.

• The measurements of spatial intervals (what we call “length”) depend on the relational context of co-instantiation.

Put simply, gravitational effects are not caused by geometric warping of a background but are manifestations of how instances actualise their meaning potentials in different gravitational contexts.

The Centre of Mass as a Semiotic Centre

Instead of imagining gravity as the curvature of a manifold centered on mass, consider the centre of mass as the focal point of relational instantiation.

The gravitational field corresponds to a pattern of relational contraction or dilation of the dimensions of actualisation—how space and time are instantiated relative to this centre. This is consistent with relativity’s predictions but reframes them as semiotic relations, not geometric ones.

Implications for Unifying Relativity and Quantum Mechanics

One persistent difficulty in physics is reconciling the smooth geometry of general relativity with the probabilistic and discrete nature of quantum mechanics. Viewing gravity as a semiotic relation of instantiation provides a conceptual bridge:

• Quantum mechanics deals with probabilities of potential actualisation—wavefunctions collapse as potential becomes instance.

• Gravity can be seen as the modulation of these actualisation processes across relational contexts.

This reframing dissolves the need for a quantum theory of gravity as a new geometric theory. Instead, it invites us to study the semiotic processes underlying the instantiation of space and time themselves, as these vary with relational context.

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Next Steps

This post has outlined a new way to think about gravity: not as geometry, but as a semiotic modulation of the instantiation of space and time. In the final post of this series, we will explore how this SFL-informed ontology might illuminate the paradoxes of quantum mechanics, especially the collapse of the wavefunction, superposition, and entanglement.

By integrating these perspectives, we can begin to dissolve the metaphysical conflicts that have long divided physics.