The 'Mind Of God' Through Systemic Functional Linguistics

Hawking (1988: 175):

However, if we do discover a complete theory, it should in time be understandable in broad principle by everyone, not just a few scientists. Then we shall all, philosophers, scientists, and just ordinary people, be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason — for then we would know the mind of God.

Blogger Comments:

To be clear, 'the mind of God' here is a reference to Einstein's 'God' — who he famously said 'does not play dice' — which can be understood as the universe itself. (Einstein believed in the pantheistic God of Spinoza, defined as a singular self-subsistent Substance, with both matter and thought being attributes of such.)

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, the God of Spinoza and Einstein can be understood as the content of consciousness: the construal of experience as meaning.  The mind of God is thus the conscious process that construes experience as meaning. Knowing the mind of God is thus consciousness knowing itself.

The identification of God with (the medium of) conscious processes, rather than the contents of consciousness, can be seen in Hindu mythology, where the Universe is reconstrued as a mental projection (dream) of the God Vishnu, and in Abrahamic mythology, where Creation is reconstrued as a verbal projection of the Creator (God said "Let there be light. …").

Abrahamic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics

Deuteronomy 8:3

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Matthew 4:4

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic Theory, this is an acknowledgement that the creators of meaning live according to two orders of meaning construed of experience: not just the material order ('bread'), but also the projected semiotic order ('word').

Cosmogonic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics [17]

Genesis (1:31):

31. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, this symbolism from Abrahamic mythology can be interpreted as further construing the genesis of construing experience as meaning through language.

The first clause of the final verse of Genesis 1 construes all phenomena as a domain of the mental perception of the creator of meaning:

and	God	saw	every thing that he had made
	Senser	Process: mental	Phenomenon

That is to say, everything that the creator of meaning sees is what language construes of experience as meaning.

The second clause attributes a positive value (attitude) to all phenomena:

and	behold	it	was	very good
		Carrier	Process: relational	Attribute

This completes the ascription of interpersonal values (attitudes) to experiential phenomena by the creator of meaning; cf the notion of 'categorising on value' in the neuroscience (TNGS) of Edelman (1992).

Cosmogonic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics [16]

Genesis (1:26-7):

26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 

27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, this symbolism from Abrahamic mythology can be interpreted as further construing the genesis of construing experience as meaning through language.

In verse 26, the creator of meaning verbally projects a proposal for humanity to serve the rôle of the creators of meaning:

and	God	said		let	us	make	man	in our image, after our likeness
1			"	2
	Sayer	Process: verbal		Process:	Actor	material: creative	Goal	Rôle: guise

That is to say, humanity itself is here unmasked as the creators of meaning, and this is itself construed as a linguistic construal of experience, made by the creator of meaning.

Verse 27 then confirms that the result of the proposed identity relation in verse 26 is humanity as a (linguistic) creation of the creator of meaning:

so	God	created	man	in his own image
	Actor	Process: material: creative	Goal	Rôle: guise

in the image of God	created	he	him
Rôle: guise	Process: material: creative	Actor	Goal

male and female	created	he	them
Rôle: guise	Process: material: creative	Actor	Goal

Moreover, identifying humanity as the last act of creation construes self-consciousness as the last aspect of consciousness to arise.

Cosmogonic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics [15]

Genesis (1:24-5):

24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25. And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, this symbolism from Abrahamic mythology can be interpreted as further construing the genesis of construing experience as meaning through language.

In verse 24, the creator of meaning again verbally projects a proposal for phenomena to be created:

and	God	said		let	the earth	bring forth	the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind
1			"	2
	Sayer	Process: verbal		Process:	Actor	material: creative	Goal

That is to say, the creation of phenomena is again construed as a linguistic construal of experience, made by the creator of meaning.

Verse 25 then confirms the creation of the phenomena verbally proposed in verse 24:

and	God	made	the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind
	Actor	Process: material: creative	Goal

And in the final clause nexus, the creator of meaning cognitively projects the ascription of a positive value (attitude) to the phenomena:

and	God	saw	that	it	was	good
1			'	2
	Senser	Process: mental: cognitive		Carrier	Process: attributive	Attribute

which continues the ascription of interpersonal values (attitudes) to experiential phenomena; cf the notion of 'categorising on value' in the neuroscientific theory (TNGS) of Edelman (1992).

Cosmogonic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics [14]

Genesis (1:20-1):

20. And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 

21. And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, this symbolism from Abrahamic mythology can be interpreted as further construing the genesis of construing experience as meaning through language.

In verse 20, the creator of meaning again verbally projects a proposal for phenomena to be created:

and	God	said		let	the waters	bring forth	abundantly	the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven
1			"	2
	Sayer	Process: verbal		Process:	Actor	material: creative	Manner: degree	Goal

That is to say, the creation of phenomena is again construed as a linguistic construal of experience, made by the creator of meaning.

Verse 21 then elaborates on the creation of the phenomena verbally proposed in verse 20:

and	God	created	great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind
	Creator	Process: existential	Existent

And in the final clause nexus, the creator of meaning cognitively projects the ascription of a positive value (attitude) to the phenomena:

and	God	saw	that	it	was	good
1			'	2
	Senser	Process: mental: cognitive		Carrier	Process: attributive	Attribute

which continues the ascription of interpersonal values (attitudes) to experiential phenomena; cf the notion of 'categorising on value' in the neuroscientific theory (TNGS) of Edelman (1992).

Cosmogonic Myth Through Systemic Functional Linguistics [13]

Genesis (1:16-8):

16. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 

17. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 

18. And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Blogger Comments:

From the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistic theory, this symbolism from Abrahamic mythology can be interpreted as further construing the genesis of construing experience as meaning through language.

In the final clause nexus of verse 18, the creator of meaning cognitively projects the ascription of a positive value (attitude) to the phenomena:

and	God	saw	that	it	was	good
1			'	2
	Senser	Process: mental: cognitive		Carrier	Process: attributive	Attribute

which continues the ascription of interpersonal values (attitudes) to experiential phenomena; cf the notion of 'categorising on value' in the neuroscientific theory (TNGS) of Edelman (1992).