The Epistemology Of Physics Through Systemic Functional Linguistics

Edelman (1992: 214-5):

But let me sketch out one aspect of the quantum measurement problem to show why these scientists were tempted to bring consciousness in to physics. As I do so, however, please keep in mind that physics is concerned with formal correlations of the most general properties of things in spacetime. Theories of physics are not concerned with the senses proper, with categorising nameable macroscopic objects, or with intentionality. If one delves into quantum mechanics, it is easy to forget these restrictions, because the decisions of the observer appear to affect the measurements he or she makes. To understand this, we have to consider a few salient features of quantum theory.

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From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, the reason why theories of physics are not concerned with 'the senses proper' is because they are founded on the Galilean assumption that scientific inquiry is concerned only with the material-relational domain of meaning ('primary qualities'), and not the mental-verbal domain ('secondary qualities').

However, what quantum mechanics demonstrates is that the mental-verbal domain cannot be ignored, since it is this that construes experience as the meaning of the material-relational domain.