Syntactic Faculties

In reference accounts such as The Dictionary (4th edition), the Syntactic Faculties are described as factions within the mathic world, arising after the Reconstitution, that generally claim descent from Saunt Proc. They take a syntactic stance: language, theorics, and similar practices are treated as games played with symbols, without intrinsic semantic content. The idea is traced to the ancient current called the Sphenics, portrayed in classic dialogs as frequent opponents of Thelenes and his fid Protas on the Periklyne.

In usage, “Syntactic Faculties” denotes faculty‑level lineages at certain concents, not a single order. The clearest named example is the Syntactic Faculty of the Concent of Saunt Muncoster, historically linked to Proc; orders are often said to trace descent either to it or to its counterpart, the Semantic Faculty of the Concent of Saunt Muncoster. The label is closely associated with the Procians and with arguments that reduce apparent “aboutness” to formal symbol manipulation.

Speakers sometimes use “Syntactics” informally to refer to adherents or arguments in this lineage. Current materials do not specify a uniform doctrine or shared administration across all such faculties; the term functions primarily as a historical and organizational marker.