Qualia and the Formal Structure of Meaning
Xerxes D. Arsiwalla
TL;DR
Addresses how the phenomenal content of consciousness can be explained by subjective meaning intrinsic to qualia. The main approach formalizes meaning as a relational attribute realized through mind-matter mappings between physical and mental domains, with semantic spaces $Rel_P$ and $Rel_M$. It introduces a network of mappings $A_P$, $A_M$, $R_{Obj}$, and $R_{Rel}$ and a commutative diagram that yields sense and reference; connects Frege's sense, Brentano's intentionality, and Peirce's signs in a unified framework. The work has implications for consciousness theory and AGI by offering a principled, quantifiable notion of subjective meaning that transcends language. The framework provides a mathematically articulated pathway to integrate phenomenology with formal semantics while remaining compatible with existing theories of consciousness.
Abstract
This work explores the hypothesis that subjectively attributed meaning constitutes the phenomenal content of conscious experience. That is, phenomenal content is semantic. This form of subjective meaning manifests as an intrinsic and non-representational character of qualia. Empirically, subjective meaning is ubiquitous in conscious experiences. We point to phenomenological studies that lend evidence to support this. Furthermore, this notion of meaning closely relates to what Frege refers to as "sense", in metaphysics and philosophy of language. It also aligns with Peirce's "interpretant", in semiotics. We discuss how Frege's sense can also be extended to the raw feels of consciousness. Sense and reference both play a role in phenomenal experience. Moreover, within the context of the mind-matter relation, we provide a formalization of subjective meaning associated to one's mental representations. Identifying the precise maps between the physical and mental domains, we argue that syntactic and semantic structures transcend language, and are realized within each of these domains. Formally, meaning is a relational attribute, realized via a map that interprets syntactic structures of a formal system within an appropriate semantic space. The image of this map within the mental domain is what is relevant for experience, and thus comprises the phenomenal content of qualia. We conclude with possible implications this may have for experience-based theories of consciousness.