Is meaning identical in nature to a physical process?

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Is meaning identical in nature to a physical process?

When I read a book, the words signify meaning. But the words themselves are not identical in nature to the meaning it represents and as such meaning in this respect is transcendent in nature of the symbols that are used to describe meaning.

Is there meaning in the reality that is presented to us and if so is it rational to reduce meaning to the nature of physical processes alone?
 
IWantGod said:
Is there meaning in the reality that is presented to us and if so is it rational to reduce meaning to the nature of physical processes alone?
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Yes there is meaning, and no it should not be reduced to a physical process alone. Darwin was able to apply meaning to his observations of physical processes. Others can see meaning in God’s creations as well.
 
How can meaning be a physical process?

Symbols can denote physical processes, but they can also (particularly in mathematics) lead to ideas that are not physical at all.

ICXC NIKA
 
I’ve always thought of meaning as a relational concept; it’s descriptive of the disposition or feelings that someone has to some other experience/concept/object. “Meaning” completely independent of a person is something I’ve always found to be a concept that is alien to me.
 
ThinkingSapien said:
I’ve always thought of meaning as a relational concept; it’s descriptive of the disposition or feelings that someone has to some other experience/concept/object. “Meaning” completely independent of a person is something I’ve always found to be a concept that is alien to me.
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You experience meaning in your feelings?
 
IWantGod said:
Is meaning identical in nature to a physical process?

When I read a book, the words signify meaning. But the words themselves are not identical in nature to the meaning it represents and as such meaning in this respect is transcendent in nature of the symbols that are used to describe meaning.

Is there meaning in the reality that is presented to us and if so is it rational to reduce meaning to the nature of physical processes alone?
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If you are asking do physical processes by nature have a natural representation. Like does walking correspond to the word walking, then no. The meaning they have are ascribed to them by our immaterial minds. What you stumbled upon is really why the mind can not be material or a physical process. Because it takes something non material to ascribe meaning to things.
 
The cat is in the mat.

Those colored pixels on the screen above have no inherent meaning to them. This pattern’s meaning exists only when there’s a mind to interpret it as such. The pixels in that arrangement only point towards the true meaning, as understood by a mind, but they do not carry the meaning of the cat is on the mat in themselves.

So the image hits your retina, your brain receives “the cat is on the mat” and certain neurons fire. The issue is that these neurons are themselves inherently meaningless without a mind to understand them. The true concept of “the cat is on the mat” does not exist anywhere in the brain. The neuron firings don’t form the shape of a cat sitting on a mat, nor do they even match the pixels that triggered the response. However, these nerve firings point to a meaning when there is a mind to understand it.

Well maybe there’s another material process in the brain above that! But again, it’s only neuron firings which are completely meaningless without a mind to get what they are pointed towards.

Well, maybe there’s another material process . . . No, there isn’t. You can go in infinite regression. No material pattern in the brain actually is “The cat is on the mat” or is capable of being anything other than something that points beyond itself to something non-material. They are merely material patterns of neuron firings that have no inherent meaning without a mind to understand what they are pointed towards.

No solely material process can explain intentionality.
 
Wesrock said:
The cat is in the mat.

Those colored pixels on the screen above have no inherent meaning to them. This pattern’s meaning exists only when there’s a mind to interpret it as such.
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This is consistent with my understanding of meaning. I also take a descriptive view of language; words have the meanings (usages) assigned to them by the people that use them. So the same word (e.g. gift) could have different meanings/usages to different minds (can mean “poison” in german).
 
I don’t buy the notion that people are needed for a physical process to have meaning. The meaning in the relationship between two symbiotic objects exists whether a person is there to appreciate it or not.
 
IWantGod said:
🙂

Okay. Have you ever discovered anything meaningful in human emotions?
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If they weren’t meaningful we wouldn’t have them. Emotions are too prevalent in life to be discounted as meaningless. Sadness can lead to despair or humility. Joy can lead to charity or self righteousness. Anger can lead to destruction or renewal. The choices we make in response to emotional situations are an indication of our understanding of God. Our free will to choose is given to us precisely so that we can choose God, thereby sharing in his will.
 
1Lord1Faith said:
If they weren’t meaningful we wouldn’t have them. Emotions are too prevalent in life to be discounted as meaningless. Sadness can lead to despair or humility. Joy can lead to charity or self righteousness. Anger can lead to destruction or renewal. The choices we make in response to emotional situations are an indication of our understanding of God. Our free will to choose is given to us precisely so that we can choose God, thereby sharing in his will.
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👍
 
IWantGod said:
Okay. Have you ever discovered anything meaningful in human emotions?
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If you are asking if I find emotional expressions from other people to be indicative of their disposition to something then I would say that I do. Being able to read someone’s emotional queues is necessary to be able to successful interact with people within society.

I don’t think that answers your question, but despite multiple queries you’ve not explained your usage of the word “meaning.” Lacking any clarification I don’t think I’ll be able to give you a clear answer other than the above.
 
It’s nice to think of everything that is meaningful and say it relates to love. BUT what can you say to mistaken meaning? For example, thinking someone is angry on the mere basis of your own projected emotion? When in reality the person is quite happy with his situation. I might ask what is the meaning of the imputation, in this case, erroneous perception of anger?
 
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