If words are to enter men's minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words shaped cunningly to pass men's defences and explode silently and effectually within their minds.
J.B. Phillips
The specific construals, values and foci of attention that organise a specific community can be understood as functioning as a type of immunological system of that social body. That is, semiotic construals, values and foci are a means of extending immunological function beyond the confines of an individual body to the confines of a social body. This can be explained as follows.
Immunological systems in bodies recognise molecules as either ‘self’ or ‘other’ with regard to the systems of the body. Those that are categorised as ‘self’ are allowed, while those that are categorised as ‘other’, antigens, trigger an immune response in the system: the molecular shape of the antigen selects the production of multiple antibodies whose molecular shape fits into the antigen (and any of its copies) in order to neutralise it as a threat to the body.
Similarly, semiotic systems in social bodies recognise the construals, values and foci of attention in models as either ‘self’ or ‘other’ with regard to systems of the social body.
[1] Those that are categorised as ‘self’ are allowed, while those that are categorised as ‘other’ trigger an immune response in the social-semiotic system: the metafunctional ‘shape’ (meanings) of the model selects the production of multiple ‘anti-texts’ (negative critiques) whose metafunctional ‘shape’ fits into the offending model (and any of its ‘copies’) in order to neutralise it as a threat to the social body (by undermining certainty in the offending model).
Because the probability that a model will be selected is dependent on the recognition of it as ‘self’ or ‘other’ — in terms of consistency with the construals, values and attentions that potential users are most certain of — there is the possibility of misrecognition. On the one hand, ‘other’ construals, values and/or attentions can be misrecognised as ‘self’, and so not attacked. On the other hand, ‘self’ construals, values and/or attentions can be misrecognised as ‘other’ and consequently attacked with anti-texts.
Footnote:
[1] Note that descriptions like ‘theory-neutral’ just mean ‘not inconsistent with the construals, values and/or foci of attention of the specific community’.
ChatGPT revised:
“If words are to enter men's minds and bear fruit, they must be the right words, shaped cunningly to pass men's defences and explode silently and effectually within their minds.”
— J.B. Phillips
The construals, values, and foci of attention that organise a specific community function as a type of immunological system of that social body. In this sense, semiotic construals, values, and foci extend immunological function beyond the individual body to the collective body of the community.
Here’s how this works. Immunological systems in bodies categorise molecules as either ‘self’ or ‘other’ relative to the body’s systems. Those recognised as ‘self’ are allowed, while those categorised as ‘other’ — antigens — trigger an immune response. The molecular shape of the antigen prompts the production of antibodies whose shape fits with the antigen (and any of its copies) in order to neutralise it as a threat.
In a parallel way, social-semiotic systems in communities categorise construals, values, and foci of attention in models as either ‘self’ or ‘other’. Those that align with the community’s shared systems are allowed, while those that do not — the ‘other’ models — prompt an immune response in the social-semiotic system. This involves the production of anti-texts (negative critiques), whose metafunctional shapes target the offending model, and any of its variants, to neutralise it by undermining the certainty the community has in it.
The probability of a model’s selection depends on whether it is recognised as ‘self’ or ‘other’ — specifically, whether it aligns with the construals, values, and attentions most certain to the users. As a result, there is the possibility of misrecognition:
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‘Other’ construals, values, or attentions can be misrecognised as ‘self’, and therefore, not attacked.
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‘Self’ construals, values, or attentions can be misrecognised as ‘other’, and thus, become the target of anti-texts.
Footnote:
[1] Terms like ‘theory-neutral’ are often used to mean simply ‘not inconsistent with’ the construals, values, and/or foci of attention of the specific community.