Dear Friends - etymology might be of some help in responding to Steven's
question, "When you say "philosophers" do you mean "theorists?" And, if not,
what distinguishes the two?" The philosopher is a lover of wisdom and
philosophy is the love of wisdom. The theorist is the one that sees. Theory and
theatre have the same root. The theorist is associated with science and science
is about knowledge. There is a vast difference between knowledge and wisdom as
"every wise man's son doth know". And then there is information. In my book
Collaborate to Compete I suggest the following relationship between wisdom,
knowledge, information, data and values.
"• Data are the pure and simple facts without any particular structure or
organization, the basic atoms of information.
• Information is structured data, which adds meaning to the data and gives it
context and significance.
• Knowledge is the ability to use information strategically to achieve one's
objectives, and
• Wisdom is the capacity to choose objectives consistent with one's values and
within a larger social context.
These definitions lead to our definition of KM:
Knowledge management is the collaborative organizational activity of creating
the environment, both attitudinally and technologically, so that knowledge can
be accessed, shared and created within an organization in a way that all of the
experiences and knowledge within the enterprise, including that of all its
staff, customers, suppliers and business partners, can be organized to achieve
the enterprise's objectives and reinforce its values.
Knowledge, Value and Values
"Structuring or processing data to convert it into information gives that data
added meaning and added value. Data is not information until it is processed.
Information is not intelligence until it is efficiently communicated" (Vine,
2000). In the same way that information structures data, knowledge structures
information, giving it additional levels of meaning and providing it with
utility. Information by itself, without knowledge, does not have utility.
Wisdom augments and guides knowledge through values. Knowledge by itself does
not create well-being. In fact, knowledge by itself can be very destructive and
can be and has been used for evil ends. For example, at the root of our
environmental crisis is the blind use of scientific and technological knowledge
without the guidance of ecological wisdom. The laissez faire use of science,
unmoderated by concern for human values, creates disservice in the long run.
The instantaneous access to information that computers provide encourages the
use of knowledge to achieve short-term goals without concern for the long-term
effects. Wisdom and prudence buffer us from this impulse. At the core of the
environmental challenges facing us today is the fact that data is transformed
instantaneously into information and that the knowledge needed to exploit that
information can be developed much faster than the wisdom that is needed to
guide the use of that knowledge."
Now to return to the question that Steven asked: What would "a philosophical
component" of information theory look like?
It depends on what information theory one is considering. If one's theory of
information does not deal with meaning then it cannot deal with values nor with
wisdom and hence not with philosophy and the love of wisdom. So how could one
have a philosophy of information theory. If, on the other hand, one's theory of
information, embraces meaning and hence value one's theory of information would
consider how information is used to achieves one's objectives consistent with
one's values.
Let me give the last word to a poet who raises still more questions that any
philosopher of information theory must consider:
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?" - T. S.
Eliot
I hope my "philosophical" musings are of some help in this FIS dialog - Bob
Logan
PS - it occurs to me that philosophy is largely about opinion and is largely
subjective whereas science is objective and consists of propositions that can
be falsified. Philosophical propositions are not falsifiable. Their value to
any user or reader lies total in the values of that user or reader as "every
wise man's son doth know". The line "every wise man's son doth know" comes from
Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night and appears in the song O Mistress Mine of
Feste who is described by Curio as follows: "Feste, the jester, my lord; a fool
that the lady Olivia's father took much delight in."
On 2013-02-11, at 6:58 PM, Steven Ericsson-Zenith wrote:
> John,
>
> When you say "philosophers" do you mean "theorists?" And, if not, what
> distinguishes the two?
>
> What would "a philosophical component" of information theory look like? Does
> such a component simply speak about the existential status of information? Is
> there some epistemology involved? Are there ethical imperatives that I could
> draw from such a philosophy?
>
> Steven
>
>
>
> On Feb 11, 2013, at 9:38 AM, John Collier <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> I guess I am at a loss to see them as separate
>> discourses. Especially in the domain of Information.
>>
>> Contrary to what Stan said, I think that many of
>> the major advances in science from Statistical
>> Mechanics, to Relativity Theory to Quantum
>> Mechanics did and continue to have a major
>> philosophical component, and professional
>> philosophers work with scientists directly in
>> each of these fields, It used to be true in
>> Computer Science, but is less so now. In
>> Cognitive Science there is currently virtually
>> now separation. In Biology there are many
>> philosophers who work with biologists, and vice
>> versa, but far too many who do not.
>>
>> I think that technology is much more linked to
>> industry than it is to the sciences above.
>>
>> John
>>
>> At 06:03 PM 2013/02/11, Loet Leydesdorff wrote:
>>> How does one measure the synergy among three discourses?
>>> That is an interesting question within information theory (as part of both
>>> science and philosophy).
>>>
>>> Best,
>>> Loet
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
>>> Behalf Of Pedro C. Marijuan
>>> Sent: Monday, February 11, 2013 4:29 PM
>>> To: [email protected]
>>> Subject: [Fis] [Fwd: SV: Science, Philosophy and Information. An Alternative
>>> Relation] S.Brier
>>>
>>> -------- Original Message --------
>>> Subject: SV: [Fis] Science, Philosophy and Information. An
>>> Alternative
>>> Relation
>>> Date: Thu, 07 Feb 2013 20:32:04 +0100
>>> From: Søren Brier <[email protected]>
>>> To: [email protected] <[email protected]>, Pedro Clemente
>>> Marijuan Fernandez <[email protected]>, [email protected]
>>> <[email protected]>, John Collier <[email protected]>
>>> References: <[email protected]>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear Joseph
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I go for each of the three nominally independent disciplines are not
>>> independent, but that each provides a dynamic ontological and
>>> epistemological link to the other two, more or less strong or "actual"
>>> depending on the extent to which one wishes to emphasize certain aspects
>>> of knowledge. Science without philosophy is stupid but philosophy
>>> without science is blind. I am for a synergetic interaction.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Best wishes
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Søren Brier
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Professor in the semiotics of information, cognition and commmunication
>>> science,
>>>
>>> department of International Business Communication, Copenhagen Business
>>> School,
>>>
>>> Dalgas Have 15, 2000 Frederiksberg, Denmark,
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *Fra:* [email protected]
>>> [mailto:[email protected]] *På vegne af *[email protected]
>>> *Sendt:* 7. februar 2013 17:37
>>> *Til:* Pedro Clemente Marijuan Fernandez; [email protected]; John Collier
>>> *Emne:* [Fis] Science, Philosophy and Information. An Alternative Relation
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Dear FIS Colleagues,
>>>
>>> The formation of the the Society for the Philosophy of Information at
>>> the University of Hertfordshire is announced in the link in John's note.
>>> It includes the announcement and Call for Papers of the International
>>> Conference on the Philosophy of Information to be held in Xi'An, China
>>> in October, 2013, sponsored by both the above Society, led by Professor
>>> Luciano Floridi and the Institute for the Philosophy of Information in
>>> Xi'An under the direction of Professor Wu Kun.
>>>
>>> This increased activity in the area of the philosophy of information
>>> (another major Workshop is planned this Spring) raises the issue of the
>>> relation between the science and philosophy of information as well as of
>>> the philosophy of science. I am aware of and agree with the position
>>> expressed by Pedro that information science in the FIS framework should
>>> emphasize scientific research in the sense of knowledge that is
>>> quantifiable and/or provable. However, I do not believe that either he
>>> or others of you intend to exclude rigorous qualitative knowledge,
>>> especially as it concerns the dual nature of information.
>>>
>>> The ubiquitous presence of information in all disciplines, as emphasized
>>> by Wu, suggests an alternative relation linking philosophy, science and
>>> information that is NOT one of simple hierarchical inclusion or
>>> possession ("of"). One possibility is to say that it is information that
>>> links philosophy and science, but this formulation perhaps fails to
>>> recognize the general properties of the latter two.
>>>
>>> Another possibility is to say that each of the three nominally
>>> independent disciplines are not independent, but that each provides a
>>> dynamic ontological and epistemological link to the other two, more or
>>> less strong or "actual" depending on the extent to which one wishes to
>>> emphasize certain aspects of knowledge.
>>>
>>> I look forward to your comments regarding the pros and cons of such a
>>> conception. Thank you.
>>>
>>> Best wishes,
>>>
>>> Joseph
>>>
>>> ----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----
>>> Von: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>> Datum: 04.02.2013 18:57
>>> An: "fis"<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>>
>>> Betreff: [Fis] Society for the Philosophy of Information
>>>
>>> http://www.socphilinfo.org/
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------
>>> Professor John Collier
>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>> Philosophy and Ethics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041 South Africa
>>> T: +27 (31) 260 3248 / 260 2292 F: +27 (31) 260 3031
>>> <http://web.ncf.ca/collier>http://web.ncf<http://web.ncf.ca/collier>.ca/coll
>>> ier
>>> <http://web.ncf%3chttp:/web.ncf.ca/collier%3e.ca/collier>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> fis mailing list
>>> [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>
>>> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>> Pedro C. Marijuán
>>> Grupo de Bioinformación / Bioinformation Group
>>> Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud
>>> Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Aragón (CIBA)
>>> Avda. San Juan Bosco, 13, planta X
>>> 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
>>> Tfno. +34 976 71 3526 (& 6818)
>>> [email protected]
>>> http://sites.google.com/site/pedrocmarijuan/
>>> -------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> fis mailing list
>>> [email protected]
>>> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
>>>
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> fis mailing list
>>> [email protected]
>>> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
>>
>>
>> ----------
>> Professor John Collier
>> [email protected]
>> Philosophy and Ethics, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 4041 South Africa
>> T: +27 (31) 260 3248 / 260 2292 F: +27 (31) 260 3031
>> <http://web.ncf.ca/collier>http://web.ncf<http://web.ncf.ca/collier>.ca/collier
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> fis mailing list
>> [email protected]
>> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> fis mailing list
> [email protected]
> https://webmail.unizar.es/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/fis
______________________
Robert K. Logan
Chief Scientist - sLab at OCAD
Prof. Emeritus - Physics - U. of Toronto
www.physics.utoronto.ca/Members/logan
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