The basis of a transdisciplinary language has been recognized to be already present throughout the subject matters of all the disciplines. The general-factors, (the isomorphic patterns-of-organization), that constitute material-reality, that constitute the hierarchic organization of material-reality, that thus permeate the subject matters of all the disciplines of science and the humanities, that provide the basis of discipline-independent-transdisciplinarity, also provide the basis of the language of transdisciplinarity. Both developing and using the methodology of discipline-independent-transdisciplinarity results in the emergence of this universal language that provides effective communication through breadth and depth of accurate description.

1. (4) The Language of
Discipline-Independent-Transdisciplinarity
A Common Language for the Disciplines
Vincent Vesterby
Conference theme: Concepts and Methods

2. A Common Language for the Disciplines
The basis of a transdisciplinary language has been recognized to
be already present throughout the subject matters of all the
disciplines.
The general-factors, (the isomorphic patterns-of-organization),
• that constitute material-reality,
• that constitute the hierarchic organization of material-
reality,
• that thus permeate the subject matters of all the
disciplines of science and the humanities,
• that provide the basis of discipline-independent-
transdisciplinarity,
also provide the basis of the language of transdisciplinarity.
Vincent Vesterby 2Transdisciplinary Language

3. The Semantics and Syntax of
Transdisciplinarity ...1
The names of the general-factors are the words of the language.
Thus, the general-factors, (the isomorphic patterns-of-
organization playing roles in the situations in which they exist),
are the reality-referents of the words—the meanings of the
words.
The semantics of the language of transdisciplinarity is based on
the correspondence between the terms and concepts within the
mind and their reality-referents—their literal physical meanings.
Vincent Vesterby 3Transdisciplinary Language

4. The Semantics and Syntax of
Transdisciplinarity ...2
Structural-logic determines the kinds of relations between
general-factors—from distance and direction, to before and
after, to causal, to systemic, and all other relations.
Structural-logic also determines the sequential-difference
between those relations, the order of their occurrence in space
and time, in structure and in process.
The sequential-difference that occurs in the relations between
general-factors constitutes the syntax of the transdisciplinary
language.
Vincent Vesterby 4Transdisciplinary Language

5. Where Does the Language Come From? ...1
A. From what we already have.
B. From creating and using the methodology.
C. From spreading-out-the-development of a known
situation.
D. From applying the methodology to an unknown situation.
E. From the creative process of emergence.
5Vincent Vesterby Transdisciplinary Language

6. Where Does the Language Come From? ...2
A. Why do we already have part of this transdisciplinary
language?
•Because scholars and researchers have for centuries been
investigating the world, and have identified and named many
factors that play roles in diverse situations.
Vincent Vesterby 6
Spiral
Tipping-point
Threshold
Throughflow
Chain reaction
Cascade
Archetype
Precursor
Template
Emergence
Feedback
Self-organization
System
Adaptation
Resilience
Structural-logic
Complexity
Orientation
Robustness
Coherence
Isomorphy
Transdisciplinary Language

7. Where Does the Language Come From? ...3
B. Why does the language emerge from creating and using the
methodology?
First, because new general-factors are constantly discovered—
and the names given to those new general-factors become new
words in the language.
Second, because there is constant improvement in the
understanding of structural-logic—and thus constant
improvement in understanding the syntax of the language.
Vincent Vesterby 7Transdisciplinary Language

8. Where Does the Language Come From? ...4
C. Why does the language result from spreading-out-the-development
of a known situation?
•Because this method of exploration and analysis goes deep, exposing
the roles of structural-logic, and in the process, revealing many
general-factors and minor stages of the development that were not
previously known to be present in the situation.
•It is common, when spreading-out-the-development, to find general-
factors and relations of structural-logic that had not been identified
prior to applying this method.
•Naming and understanding these newly identified general-factors and
relations adds new words to the language and new syntactical
understanding.
Vincent Vesterby 8Transdisciplinary Language

9. Where Does the Language Come From?...5
D. Why does the language emerge when applying the methodology to
an unknown situation?
•Initially the unknown situation is viewed by way of known general-
factors, but further application of the prime-imperative (looking at the
subject of investigation itself), reveals new general-factors, the names
of which become new words in the language.
•Just as with spreading-out-the-development, the process of using
general-factors for the qualitative analysis of an unknown situation
reveals the manner in which structural-logic determines the relations
within the situation.
•It often happens that new structural-logic relations, and thus new
syntax relations of the language, are discovered.
Vincent Vesterby 9Transdisciplinary Language

10. Where Does the Language Come From? ...6
E. Why is the process of emergence a factor in the origin of the
language of transdisciplinarity?
Any motion that occurs within a situation under investigation will
initiate the emergence of new pattern-of-organization.
• Any such newly occurring pattern that is seen to play a
significant role in the situation, and that has not previously been
labeled, will be given a name.
New types of patterns-of-organization come into existence when the
process of emergence creates a new level of the hierarchic-
organization of material-reality.
• Some of these emergent patterns will be recognized as general-
factors, and those that have not been previously labeled will be
named and added to the language.
Vincent Vesterby 10Transdisciplinary Language

11. Naming General-Factors
The nature of the name must tell the transdisciplinarian
something.
The name should point toward the reality-referent of the name,
to the specific general-factor to which it refers.
The name, then, should be derived from some intrinsic quality of
the general-factor.
Vincent Vesterby 11Transdisciplinary Language

12. General-Factor Names Derived from Their
Descriptive-Definitions ...1
In alignment with the transdisciplinarian goals of accuracy and
practical utility, the names given to general-factors should be
descriptive in nature.
A descriptive-definition is created for each general-factor based
entirely on the intrinsic qualities of the general-factor.
The foundational form of each general-factor is given a name
that is derived from the content of its descriptive-definition.
Vincent Vesterby 12Transdisciplinary Language

13. General-Factor Names Derived from Their
Descriptive-Definitions ...2
Descriptive-defining follows the prime-imperative of the
accurate analysis of the intrinsic nature of reality.
•Look to reality itself.
•Let the nature of reality dictate the nature of the understanding
of reality.
•Let the nature of what is being defined dictate the content of its
description and the manner in which it is differentiated from
other things.
A term and its definition then serve as arrows directing the mind
to the reality-referent of the term.
Vincent Vesterby 13Transdisciplinary Language

14. An Example Series of
Descriptively Defined Terms ...1
This is a developmentally related sequence of terms.
The sequence goes from terms with more general reality-
referents to terms with more specific reality-referents.
Development—everything that exists takes part in one way or
another in a universally omnipresent transition, a sequential-
difference from one time, place, part, pattern, level, condition,
or situation to another.
Existential-pathway-development—The development that
occurs along specific sequences of existentially continuous
difference in extension, change, or simultaneously in extension
and change.
Vincent Vesterby 14Transdisciplinary Language

15. An Example Series of
Descriptively Defined Terms ...2
Extensional-existential-pathway-development—Development
that occurs along specific sequences of existentially continuous
difference in extension, involving greater quantity of sequential-
difference with greater quantity of extension.
Topographic-existential-pathway-development—The sequence
of the topography, the relief features or surface configuration
that occurs with the extensional-existential-pathway-
development of a surface.
Vincent Vesterby 15Transdisciplinary Language

16. An Example Series of
Descriptively Defined Terms ...3
Topographic-slope-existential-pathway-development—The
slope from the highest part of a surface to the lowest part,
which is an intrinsic 3-dimentional quality of all irregular
surfaces.
Topographic-route-existential-pathway-development—A
specific, more or less linear route on a surface, for example, a
groove on the surface of an object, as the threads on a bolt, or a
path, road, river channel, or the way taken by a person hiking
cross-country through a landscape.
Vincent Vesterby 16Transdisciplinary Language

17. An Example Series of
Descriptively Defined Terms ...4
Topographic-process-existential-pathway-development—The
existential-pathway-development of a process as it occurs in and
is influenced by a topographic situation, such as the existential-
pathway-development of a landslide, or of a river from its
headwaters region to where it ends.
Vincent Vesterby 17Transdisciplinary Language

18. Communicating with Descriptively Defined
Terms
It is important to remember that a transdisciplinarian thinks in
the mode of pictures and patterns-of-organization.
Thus, when transdisciplinarians are working with the pictorial
universal-conceptual-model and the structural-logic relations
therein, they are working visually.
The language is used later to describe and communicate the
results of that work.
In this way the language of transdisciplinarity is used for
precision of description and communication, where the terms
direct the mind to their reality-referents.
Vincent Vesterby 18Transdisciplinary Language

19. Visualizing the Descriptively Defined Terms
When using the universal-conceptual-model that exists in the
transdisciplinarian's mind, the reality-referents are represented
pictorially, rather than linguistically by their names.
The terms lead to visualization of the reality-referents.
Vincent Vesterby 19Transdisciplinary Language

20. The general-factor names in the list above were listed
developmentally, from broad to progressively more specific,
leading the mind to think developmentally in terms of the
organization of the structure and processes of their reality-
referents.
This then builds a dynamic visual conceptual-model of how the
system is structured and functions.
Vincent Vesterby 20Transdisciplinary Language

21. The Language Enhances
Thinking Developmentally ...2
The organization of discipline-independent-transdisciplinary-
understanding is determined by development, the universal-
general-factor that gives order to all general-factors.
The developmental sequence of these terms and their individual
developmental meanings, as indicated by the words within
them, help direct the mind to the developmental nature of the
reality-referents of these terms.
Thinking developmentally becomes a habit of mind.
Vincent Vesterby 21Transdisciplinary Language

22. The Language of
Discipline-Independent-Transdisciplinarity
Describing observed factors and situations generates understanding,
makes gaps in understanding obvious, and enables the mind to exist
within the situation, seeing its components and relations and how they
interrelate with one another and their immediate environment.
If you can describe it, you understand it.
This is the fundamental utility of the descriptive aspect of this
language.
Both developing and using the methodology of discipline-
independent-transdisciplinarity results in the emergence of this
universal language that provides effective communication through
breadth and depth of accurate description.
Vincent Vesterby 22Transdisciplinary Language
Vincent Vesterby
http//:www.themoderngeneralist.com Thegeneralist@theModernGeneralist.com