Philosophy: Philosphy of Information Fakultt 13, Hochschule Mnchen, Wintersemester 2012-2013 Information: Brcke zwischenJos Mara Daz Nafra (Universidad de Len, Spain) 4. Mrz 2011 Informationsphilosophie. Information und urbanes Systeme 1

A General Understanding of Information 1. Groundings [Monday-Tuesday] a) The information age and the language of information (historical perspective) b) The Frame of the Mathematical Theory of Communication c) Semantic information 2. Information throughout the ladder of complexity [W.-Th.] a) Physical information b) Biological Information c) Human information (life-world, cultural-world) 3. General Theories of Information [Th.-Fr.] a) Broadening the mathematical information concept (complexity theory) b) Situation theory c) Information in a nutshell: GTI, UTISS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 2

The origins of the information concept Latin and Greek roots Material information case (Hefestos) Observation case (Subject) Speaking or Instructional case (communication) Platos Forms Otherworldliness Digital communication model Aristotles Inductions Form (actuality) and Matter (potentiality) The individuality of real things. Particular form: essences General essences: being of species that can be inductively graspedSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 3

Bibliographic tips FLORIDI, L. (2010). Information. A very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. DAZ NAFRA, J.M. (2011). Messages in an open universe. in Capurro, R. and Holgate (eds.). Messages and messangers. Angeletics as an approach to the phenomenology of of communication. Munich: W.Fink, 195-229. DIAZ NAFRIA (2011): Information, a multidimensional reality, in Curras and Lloret. Nuria LLORET(2011). Systems Science and Collaborative Information Systems. Hershey PA, USA: IGI Global HOFKIRCHNER, W. (2010). Twenty Questions About a Unified Theory of Information. Arizona: Emergent publications. LYRE, Holger (2002). Informationstheorie. Eine philosophisch- naturwissenschftliche Einfhrung. Munich: W.Fink Verlag. BURGIN, M. (2010). Theory of Information. Fundamentality, Diversity and Unification. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 4

Bibliographic tips DAZ NAFRIA, J.M., et al. (Koord.) (2010). Glossarium BITri: glossary of Concepts, metaphors, theories and problems concerning information. Len: Universidad de Len [online http://glossarium.bitrum.unileon.es/glossary, http://wp.me/pzKNC-66] DAZ NAFRA, J.M. (2010). Information: a multidimensional concern. TripleC, 8(1), 77-108 [online http://triple- c.at/index.php/tripleC/article/view/76/168]. DAZ NAFRA and SALTO (2009). What is information? An interdisciplinary approach. Special issue TripleC, 7(2) [online http://wp.me/pzKNC-2G].SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 5

Invitation to Complementary ActivitySocial networks:from indignation to change(ethical, political and aesthetical aspects)21-23.09.2012 in Len, SpainCooperation:Universidad de Len HM UTI RG MUSACWith: Prof. R.E. Zimmermann (HM) Prof. J.M. Daz Nafra (ULE) Prof. P. Fleissner (TUW), et al.Certificate of assistance, Credits: 1 ECTS, No evaluationSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 6

I. Groundings (the development of the information understanding)0. Towards a general understanding of information1. Development of the information concept: Plato, Aristotle, Middle Ages, Modernity, (technique and physics)2. General understanding of Information3. Mathematical Theory of Communication4. Algorithmic Theory of Information5. Information in the sciencesSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 7

0. Towards a General Understanding of Information In the Information Era we should be able to understand what really information means (Comparison to the Iron Era, iron vs cupper) The Nature of information is not solved Information can be considered as something mediating between Objects and Subjects To this end, a general understanding of O. & S. is also needed.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 8

I.0 Information concept (tangible) Information Time t1 t2 t3 Object: In opposition to the Subject Subject of the change of the changeSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 9

(0) Information concept (immaterial) Time Information t1 t2 t3 Object: In opposition to the subject of Subject of the change the change (awareness) (in the awareness)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 10

(0) Clarifying Form: a particular configuration/Gestalt produced in the subject. Subject: System which can adopt potential changes Object: what remains stable (in front of the subject) causing the changes in the subject ~ Model Time: Run of the procedure (i.e. change of the subject) O. vs S.: In strict sense, both sides change during the process (O. & S. are only relative regarding the corresponding change)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 11

(1) Evolution of the information concept (a) Plato vs. AristotlePlato (idealistic tradition) Form is what exists in the first place and it is out of the world, otherworldliness (a-spatial, a-temporal). Forms are participated by appearances (phenomena) and souls. By these means the observer can really recognize the forms. The innate ideas must be awaken (the observer recognizes what already was in his soul). The observer returns to the truth, slept within himself.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 12

Plato: World of forms Form Appearance I Ideas Observer Decontextualizing: Die existing Forms belong to the otherworldliness (a- spatial, a-temporal)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 13

Plato and Signal Theory From the viewpoint of the modern signal theory (Digital Transmission): Ideal of transparence Si Si Compared with Si {S1, S2, SN} {S1, S2, SN} NoiseSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 14

(b) Aristotle Form: embrace the essential properties of a thing Matter: embrace the potential changes Every thing has its own form, its own essence, which correspond to its being. The reality of a thing relates to its details, its differences (dish in Plato and Aristotle) There is a general being, which corresponds to the being of the species. One can inductively recognize them by observation.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 15

(c) Information concept (Middle ages)Augustine of Hippona: Credo ut intellego Truth Revelation Requirement: God Noiseless Belief channelsAnselm: Fidens quarens intellectum endeavor towards understandingAquinas: Reality is understandableHermeneutic: Activity of Interpretation, Imagination-AbilitySS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 16

(d) Information concept (Modernity) Reformation and Enlightenment received significantly the clarity and transparence of Augustine (transparency unmediated, No distance) Physics in that time had control over space, but not over time -until 19.Century-. Newton: Absolute, true, and mathematical time, of itself, and from its own nature, flows equably without relation to anything external. (Scholia to the definitions in PN-Principia Mathematica, Bk. 1, 1689) Time was left free to philosophy, where it was not considered as an independent concept, but as something inherent to processes (Leibniz, Kant, Heidegger, Bergson).SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 17

(e) Modern Communication theory The most important difference between early and modern telecommunication concerns transmission speed. Until end of the 19th c. I-transmission was understood as an immediate event: The time of the transmission process disappears. The mediating space correspondingly disappears, One can only speak of the process of the E. and R., which must be synchronized.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 18

XIX C. Physics Late 19th Century Physics (e.g. Maxwell) understood the being of time as attached to processes: Entropy represents the irreversibility of processes (Time: inevitable and unidirectional run of the processes) Physics of fields understood Processes in Space & Time > Change in the understanding of EM transmissionSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 19

Mathematical Theory of Communication (Shannon) Original Decoded message Codified message Message Emitter Coder Channel Decoder Receptor Noise Noiseless Channels (magische Kanale)This viewpoint (and alongside the oblivion of space) have many consequences inthe actual game of the globalization:1. It technically enables the run of the economical processes at the international level.2. It technically enables the hiding of power relations.3. Instead of facilitating social achievements, the power constellation (economical domination) can easily reconfigure the network of economic agency.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 20

I.1(g) Computer technique and Cybernetics, 20th C.1940s Pioneering work of Alan TURING, J. VON NEUMANN1950s Machine-model of neuronal systems (McCULLOCH et al.): Connectionism40s-60s First Cybernetics (N. WIENER, R. ASHBY) and System Theory (L. von BERTALANFFY, CHURCHMANN)60s-70s Artificial intelligence (NEWELL, SIMON, MINSKY): Symbol Processing (z.B. LISP) > MACKAY60s-80s Codification and Pattern recognition (KOLMOGOROV, SOLOMONOFF, CHAITIN): Theory of complexity and Algorithmic Information Theory1970s- Second Cybernetics (MATURANA, VARELA, van FOSTER) and complexity theory (MORIN, ZIMMERMANN) SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 21

Aspects of a general understanding of information Semiotic: Theory of signs and symbols (Morris, 1938) The Syntax concerns the occurrence of individual information units and their mutual relations. The Semantic concerns the meaning of information units and their mutual relations. The Pragmatic concerns the effect of information units and their mutual relations.A complete understanding of information unfolds in thedimensions: Syntax, Semantic and PragmaticSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 22

I.2. Aspects of a general understanding of information Timely aspects of information (Weizscker): Actual: already present and effected information Potential: the possibility to obtain actual information.Namely, the difference between past and future is grasped bythe information concept.Actual information exists factually, whereas potentialinformation exist only in relation to possibilities.Therefore AI can be regarded ontologically, whereas PI isintrinsically relational.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 23

I.2(a) Syntax and Probability I = - ld p = - log2 p Extensive measure: I-Content of a dual system: I(cont) = I(1) + I(2) Probability & potential syntactic information are equivalent concepts for the quantification of possibilities. The concept of probability can be regarded as a sub-concept of a general information concept.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 24

(I.2.a) Example: information measurement through unveiling a card 32 Cards: 8 cards / type (clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds) 1-8 Clubs 1-8 Spades 1-8 Hearts 1-8 Diamonds Mnimal # of questions in average- for yes/no answers Q1: Black? A1: No Q2: Heart ? A2: No Q3: > 4? A3: No Q4: > 2? A4: Yes Q5: 4? A5: Yes SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 25

I.2(b) Semantic and Pragmatic The necessary entanglement of semantic and pragmatic aspects of information within semantic-pragmatics offers the possibility to an objectification of semantics. Context always presuppose context, I. always presuppose I. Information exist only relative in respect to a difference between 2 semantic levels. The philosophical key issues in the research of the I- concept concern the epistemological and ontological aspects. Both questions are actually interdependent.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 26

I.3. Telecommunication Information theory Shannons Information-Entropy Ii=- log2pi P={1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/8 }; Dice p1=p; p2=(1-p) Theory of codification In order to transmit the maximal amount of information content in the minimal time: Redundancy-free Source (Morse, 4 symbols ex.) Huffman method: lk~Ik, Prefix-feature SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 27

I.3. Telecommunication Information theory Firstness (Erstmligkeit) and Confirmation The word information, in this theory, is used in a special sense that must not be confused with its ordinary usage. In particular, information must not be confused with meaning In fact, two messages, one of which is heavily loaded with meaning and the other of which is pure nonsense, can be exactly equivalent, from the present viewpoint, as regards information... In the theory of communication, information relates no so much to what is said but to what could be said. information is a measure of the freedom of choice communicators have when they select a message. (Weaver) The telecommunication I-Theory treats Information under syntactical aspectsSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 28

I.3 Telecommunication Information theoryIs there information without confirmation? Phenomenon, manifestation underlying reality Perception, stating that something is the case requires confirmation A confirmed phenomenon provides no information Information Shannon (MTC) Pragmatic-semantics 0 1/2 1 Confirmation (Redundancy) 1 0 Firstness (Novelty)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 29

I.4. Semantical approach to InformationGDI (data + meaning) is an instance of information (understood as semantic information) if and only if 1) consists of n data, for n1 2) The data are well formed 3) The wellformed data are meaningfulDd datum X being distinct from y, where x and y are 2 uninterpreted variables and the relation of being distinct as well as the domain are left open to further interpretation.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 30

I.4. Semantic approach to InformationEnvironmental information 2 systems a & b coupled in such a way that as being F is correlated to b being G, then carrying the information for the observer of a the Information that b is G.Factual semantic information p qualifies as factual semantic information if and only if p is (constituited by) well-formed, meaningful and veridical dataSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 31

I.4. Algorithmic Information Theory The algorithmic information content is a measure of the syntactical diversity or complexity The very shortest description: Ialg(s)=L(pmin s) Differences with the shannonian concept: 1. Syntactic vs. Minimal complexity as usage of that semantic providing a minimal syntactic effort. 2. Potential vs. Actual Information 3. Objective vs. Relative quantitative concept: Complexity in relation to regularities that are readable from a selected semantic space. The algorithmic I-content measures actual I. under both syntactic and semantic aspects. It represents no absolute quantity but a relative one. It is not computable, i.e. it is related to subjects.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 32

I.5. The information concept in the sciences Symtem theory (Bertalanffy, Wiener) S.S. (Luhmann), B.S. (Maturana u. Varela) Th. of open systems (Weizscker) Linguistics (Chomsky, Eco) Economy (N. Georgercu-Roegen)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 33

I.5. The information concept in the sciencesSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 34

I.5. The information concept in the sciences Objective or subjective? Relational concept, Subjective Ontological category dependent on: concept independent Subjectivity or Intencionality Release Uncertainty, Interpretable mechanism probability Measu- Structure Structure and and Abstract General Human rement and process behaviour, generating Evolution Theory of Ciber- Objective ntics Dependent of Information Biology Objecti- Semantic Maturana, Varela General Algorithmic Unified Wiener MTC Theory of Information Theory of vised Theories of 2nd O. Cibernetics V. Foerster Relevance Stonier Karpatschof Gnther Measure Theory Information Seman- Information Cognitive Decision T. Gitt tics (Activity Dretske Racionality T. ment Inf. Hermeneutics Shannon Theory) Capurro Weaber v. Neuman Solomonoff Hoffkirchner Weizscker Bar-Hillel & Carnap Situational Intersubj. Knowledge Kolmogorov Fleissner Brillouin Lyre (Quantic T. of Inf.) Barwise, Perry, Oeser Chaitin Fenzl Mhler Matsuno (Diacronic I.) Seligman, Israel Lazlo Truthfulness Brier (Cibersemiotics) Floridi mental Difference Flckiger Selfreferent. Sist T. Luhmann Cognitive ScienceSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 35

I.5. The information concept in the sciences Syntactical Semantic Pragmatic Syntactical How is it expressed? What does it represent? Is it true? What value does it have? How is it expressed? MTC (Shannon, Logical empiricism (Bar-Hillel, Algorithmic Information Theory (Solomonoff, Kolmogorof, Chaitin) Weaver) Carnap) Holographic Universe Cognitive constructivism Theory of purpose-oriented action (Janich) (Bekenstein) (Dretske) Quantum Theory of Information Situational semantics (Barwise, Perry, Aesthetic Theory of Information (Bense, and Measurement (Lyre, Seligman) Moles) Mahler) Fuzzy semantics (Zadeh, Activity Theory (Karpatschof) Prez-Amat) Theory of Self-referential Systems (Luhmann) Objectivised semantics (Weizscker, Lyre) Theory of Objective Information (Stonier, Gitt) Unified Theory of Information (Hoffkirchener, Fleissner, Fenzl, Lazlo, Brier,)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 36

II. Information in the physicsIt is still not a physical concept as E, M, S, TCentral role?1. Thermodynamics Principles (1., 2., 3.)2. Field theory Appearance and Perception3. Quantum theory Measurement theory4. Space-time Theory Relativity theory, Quantum GravitySS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 37

II.1 Thermodynamics1. Entropy and 2nd Principle (1., 2., 3.) Principles dS = Qrev/T, dS 0 Qirr irreversible Processes BOLTZMANN, MAXWELL, GIBBS: phenomenologic- macroscopic Th. microscopic-mechanical BOLTZMANN (1896): Entropy as quantitative concept: S = k B ln p S = k B piln pi Information entropy and thermodynamic entropy are formal identical. Both quantities are equal, if one considers Entropy as potential Information, as quantity of the number of possible micro- states in a macro-state.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 38

II.1 Thermodynamics2. Maxwells Daemon The molecules have the same different average speed average speedSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 39

II.2 Field theory (natural limits of information) Nature loves to hide Heraclitus of Ephesus Bounding surface Structure of the phenomenon 2 2 1 r, t r, t S 2 2 v t D Observed reality (Object) Observer (Subject) Arbitrary complexitySS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 40

II.2 Field theory (natural limits of information)Phenomena Wavefunction 1 1 G ( u 1 , v1 , x n , y n , z n ) N N fn n fn T f wo n n 1 n 1 M M G (u M , v M , x n , y n , z n ) Source: (Real or predicted equivalent)What is the complexity of the phenomenon?Namely, haw much information does it convey?1) The solution is univocal only for a discrete projections over a given bounding surface.2) The details are regularly distributed (~/2)3) The highest gathered information does not Bounding surface (Huygens Principle) depend on the accuracy of the observation but on the dimension of the ( a2)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 41

II.2 Field theory (natural limits of information) Observation domain z 1) The field of an arbitrary structure is computed Arbitrary on an observed domain. structure 2) From this observation a projection over the perfect polyhedron is determined. 3) The field of both the original structure and the E projected in the prediction domain are equal. a EDomain of Domain of observationprediction x y Polyedron of projectionUniqueness solution for the selected projection distribution 1 f Projection [T T ] T OBS/ min d T f Projection , OBS f Domain of prediction Trans-Operator: f SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 42

II.2 Field theory (natural limits of information) Trans-Operator: s Projection-Operator: sSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 43

II.3 Quantum theory (Limits of information) It is possible to speak of potential and actual (Weizscker) ZeitSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 44

(II. Appendix) Perception: Consequences ofthe physical limits in the human perception a) regular hole or irregular coloured b) irregular protuberance or regular protuberance coloured hole The preferred perceptions tend to be those corresponding to the simplest configurations (Ockams razor)SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 45

(II. Appendix) PerceptionExamples of ambiguos perceptionSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 46

(II. Appendix) PerceptionSolution of ambiguities Initial hypothesis G1-1 G2-1 G3-1 GN-1 k k k k k Ob{ 1 } Ob{ 2 } K{ s } Ob{ 3 } Ob{ N } G1 G2 k k 1 G3 GN d {s , s } N N N f , 1 ... NSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 47

III. Information in BiologyThe actual decoding of human genome brings inbiology the information theoretical aspects to thefore1. Genetics Theory of heritage, Molecular-biology2. Evolution theory Appearance and PerceptionSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 48

III.0 Historical remarksDarwin: tiny germs / mutations Galton: lineages (used in ontogenesis)Mendel (1856): a carrier for every individualcharacter Correns, Tschermark, and de Vries rediscover the heritage theory, Molecular biologyMiescher (1869): nucleotide of cell kernel (DNA).Mller (1925, Mutations of Drosophila)Bateson: Genetics, Johannensen: GenSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 49

III.0 Historical remarksAvery (1944): Transformations as f(DNA) Hershey and Chase: experiment with bacteriophagusSchrdiger (1944): a-periodical crystal Watson and Crick: Nature of the DNA MoleculeNot the chemistry of the DNA but the molecular structure:Information theoretical paradigmSS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 50

III.1 Genetics Transcription Translation DNA RNA Polypeptid Replication Since discovery of Retrovieren Central dogma of the molecular biology 4 Bases: (A) Adenine, (G) Guanine, (T) Thymine, (C) Cytosine Chargaffs rules: {A & T}, {G & C} equivalent molar amountsThe DNA heritage-molecule represents in its nucleotide-structure a genetic code i.e. syntactical information- for theproduction of RNA and Proteins.SS 2012 A General Understanding of Information 51