Stabilising Interpretation: A Structural Account of Branching, Datum Selection, and Compression in the Paton Framework
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Interpretation is often treated as subjective, yet no formal account explains why some interpretations stabilise into knowledge while others collapse. This paper introduces a structural model in which interpretation is defined as a constrained branching phase between structure and datum selection. Three operators are formalised—branching (B), datum selection (D), and compression (C)—and interpretation is shown to persist only when compression through a valid datum yields a state within an admissible constraint region A. This yields the Interpretation Stability Principle: an interpretation persists if and only if it admits compression through a valid datum without violating system constraints. The framework provides a unified explanation for insight, disagreement, discovery, and paradigm change without invoking subjectivity. A minimal illustration and falsifiability condition are provided. The result is a domain-neutral structural criterion for when interpretation becomes knowledge.
Author: Paton, Andrew John
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7130938133
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