Meaning as a Functional Aspect of Preserved Identity under Change

This white paper extends the principle of identity as preserved coherence under change by examining meaning as a functional effect of that preservation. Meaning is not treated as subjective attribution, value projection, or narrative construction, but as the structural consequence of a system’s capacity to maintain coherence while undergoing change. When change can be integrated within tolerances, meaning emerges; when coherence collapses, meaning diminishes. The account is domain-independent and applies to biological, psychological, and social systems. The paper proposes a minimal structural framework that connects identity, tolerance, and functional integration without introducing metaphysical commitments beyond preserved coherence.