Laws That Determine The Evolution Of The Universe Viewed Through Systemic Functional Linguistics

Hawking (1988: 172-3):

The success of these laws led Laplace at the beginning of the nineteenth century to postulate scientific determinism; that is, he suggested that there would be a set of laws that would determine the evolution of the universe precisely, given its configuration at one time.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, this blurs the distinction between the construal of experience as first-order meaning (the evolution of the universe) and its reconstrual as second-order meaning (the laws of physics). Clearly, second-order meaning (laws of physics) does not determine first-order meaning (the evolution of the universe) any more than a map (second-order) determines a landscape (first-order).

Moreover, the abstract notion of 'determinism', like its frequent opposite, 'free will', can be understood as a desiderative projection (a hope or fear) rather than a cognitive projection (a thought).  Interpersonally, this dichotomy can be understood in terms of the complementary aspects of modulation: obligation (determinism) and inclination (free will).