propositional theme

What is organizing itself in the ongoing gesture-response of complex responsive processes is the patterning of communicative interaction between people as propositional and narrative themes, in which variations arise when those interacting are diverse. See variation and organization.

Propositional themes -- the organizing themes do not take only narrative forms -- another form is that of propositions, or rules, and these also pattern communicative interaction in much the same way, this time producing emergent abstract-systematic frameworks, such as law, organizational procedures, or scientific theories.

Tool --
As opposed to narrative themes or knowledge, propositional knowledge often comes in the form of the written word, text replaces conversation. Propositional knowledge is a tool of business organizations -- procedures, guides, terminologies, etc.

Abstract frameworks --
Abstract, or systematic, frameworks, are essential to effective communications and sharing knowledge. Humans form these frameworks within which to talk about their worlds. For example, there is the framework of physics within which some talk about the material environment we live in. There is the framework of medical sciences which others use to talk about the human body. For more on abstract-systematic frameworks, see symbols.

• humans develop abstract-systematic explanatory frameworks of all kinds which are a context beyond the history of experiences
• this additional context is the abstract-systematic frameworks themselves
• the meaning of words lies in the abstract-systematic framework as well as in the words and gestures used in conversation
• these frameworks become essential to understanding the meaning of words
• abstract-systematic frameworks are constructed in reified symbols and have their own internal rules and procedures for processing and manipulating those symbols
• Anyone who wants to join the community and participate in its communication has to do so within the framework of those rules and procedures