Density and the Evolution of Semiotic Possibility: 5 Tradition as Sedimented Probability

Having explored evolution as collective reweighting, we now turn to the temporal sedimentation of density, which gives rise to tradition in semiotic systems.

1. From Collective Evolution to Historical Patterns

When individuals repeatedly actualise certain subpotentials, density thickens in those regions. Over time, these thickened regions persist across generations of instantiation, forming what we experience as tradition.

• Thick regions = stabilised practices, recurrent structures, conventional forms

• Thin regions = marginal or declining forms, less frequently actualised

Tradition, therefore, is not an external imposition on the system. It is the accumulated trace of past actualisations, a probabilistic record of what has been stabilised through repeated use.

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2. Visualising Sedimented Probability

Systemic potential (historical density)

███████         ← highly sedimented, traditional forms

███                          ← moderately stabilised

█                                   ← rare, marginal forms

Here, density maps directly onto history. The heavier the density, the more likely a subpotential is to be instantiated in future texts. The past literally shapes the present.

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3. Key Properties of Tradition

1. Emergent, not imposed: Tradition arises automatically from repeated actualisation, not from formal rules or authority.

2. Dynamic stability: Even thickened regions remain potentially reconfigurable. Change can occur when low-density regions are explored or high-density regions are perturbed.

3. Relational: Tradition exists in relation to both system and individuals — it is stabilised probability across the collective, not a property of the system alone.

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4. Tradition and Innovation

Tradition and innovation are two sides of the same density logic:

• Tradition = thickened, sedimented density

• Innovation = emergent patterns from thin, underdetermined regions

The interplay between these forces drives semiotic evolution: stability provides continuity, while thinning and underdetermination create openings for novelty.

By understanding tradition as sedimented probability, we preserve the relational, dynamic, and patterned nature of semiotic systems. History is not static; it is the ongoing result of density redistribution through repeated actualisation.

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5. Preparing for Next Post

In the next post, we will explore innovation as stabilised thinning: how novelty emerges from underdetermined regions of density and gradually contributes to the evolving system. This will complete the full view of density-driven semiotic evolution, setting the stage for our synthesis.