Philosophy of Information —— Fundamental Transformation of Philosophy

Wu Kun,Wang Ping

(Xi’an Jiaotong University,Xi’an Shaanxi 710049)

“Any true philosophy is the essence of the spirit of their own era.”〔1〕Today,as mankind has entered the information age,philosophy of information (PI) has become the essence of the spirit of the present day,which demonstrates deeply and comprehensively its far-reaching significance and value.

Ⅰ.Weiner’s warning and the nature of philosophy of information

1.The ignorance of Weiner’s warning leading to the stagnation of philosophy study

Back to the year of 1948 witnessing the born of the communication theory and control theory,Weiner,the founder of control theory,once stated that “information is information,not material or energy.No materialism which does not admit this point can survive at the present day.”〔2〕However,it was a pity that few philosophers paid attention to Weiner’s clear warning regarding philosophy for such a ling time.In this way,not only the revolutionary value of information to the development of philosophy failed to be revealed,but also the establishment of a unified information science was in vain,which both depended on the development of general theory of PI as their theoretical basis.

2.The establishment of the philosophy of information

Since Weiner’s discussion about information,there have been voluminous literature on the subject of information in science and philosophy circle at home and abroad,but most of them still remain at the level of specific science and technology,including the discussion of philosophical problems involved in general theories of information science,information technology,information economy and information society.

Some related literature holds that it is one Chinese scholar who firstly proposed the concept of PI,which had the general philosophy nature and constructed related theories in the early 1980s.However,we believe that the rise of PI is the thought of this era,and to see whether it is true shall not simply rely on the proposition of the concept of PI.

3.The nature of the philosophy of information

There have long been major limitations about the general understanding of the nature of PI as a discipline among science and philosophy circle worldwide.Most scholars comprehend the nature of PI only by handling philosophical problems in information science and technology.Thus,PI can only be considered as a philosophy of certain branch or within some domain,just as philosophy of physics,chemical philosophy,life philosophy,philosophy of geography,economic philosophy,philosophy of culture,and etc.In addition,some other scholars always tend to interpret PI by incorporating it into certain existing traditional paradigm or philosophical paradigm.Following these two directions,multiple approaches have been developed:computationalism,information ethics,communication informatics,cognitive informatics,semantic informatics,logic informatics,symbol informatics,causal dynamics informatics,information phenomenology and so on.However,as they are affiliated to some existing related specific philosophical or scientific and technological theories,these approaches are implicitly or explicitly constrained by the narrowness and limitations of these theories and disciplines.Thus,these approaches cannot reveal the unique value and revolutionary significance owned by information issues,and these very information theories don’t belong to high-level information science,nor has the nature of general PI or of unified information science.

So I propose that we should study information issues from “philosophical criticism” standpoint to achieve dual critique and dual transcendence:to criticize and transcend the limitations of specific science theories,and rigid theories and views of existing philosophy.These then lead to a dual revolution:the revolution of specific real world and that of philosophy itself.〔3〕

According to the common understanding of contemporary science,there are three basic elements in the world:matter,energy and information.Matter and energy refer to the mass and energy in physics,which is the physical world of objective reality emphasized by materialism philosophy.Information cannot simply be included in this world.Though it is derived from the physical world and has mass or energy as its carries,information does not have the nature of reality and information world is an unreal world.Considering that information is different from the basic existential field - the physical world,it is justified to regard PI as a metaphilosophy,philosophia prima or the supreme philosophy.

Ⅱ.The highest paradigm of philosophy and information turn of philosophy

1.The structure and the highest paradigm of philosophy

Why PI is firstly a metaphilosophy,philosophia prima or supreme philosophy?Why PI is a revolution of philosophy?To answer these questions requires the clarification of two kinds of theories.One is about the general character of information itself,and the other about the nature of philosophy itself,structure of philosophical system,level of philosophy paradigm and general critique between philosophical revolutionary and non-revolutionary transformation.

Usually,philosophy can be divided to varied fields and levels.The basic theory parts include ontology,epistemology,theory of practice,axiology,methodology and so on.The field philosophy contains natural philosophy,social philosophy,philosophy of spirit,philosophy of mathematics,systematic philosophy,environmental philosophy,philosophy of science,philosophy of technology,philosophy of engineering,etc.Then under that,we have various kinds of department philosophy and branches of philosophy.

From the philosophy dimension,it is the basic theory parts of philosophy that constitute the fundamental philosophical theory,and he distinction among schools of philosophy lies on their different fundamental theories.Ontology,among others,is the basis of the fundamental theory of philosophy,which is the hard core theory of philosophy and also so-called philosophia prima as “the existence of the existence” from Aristotle.〔4〕

Generally speaking,ontology is a philosophical discipline studying the origin and nature of the world.But we should firstly explore the relationship of different realms of existence,and the prerequisite of that is to answer how many kinds of existence there are in the world (or what is there?) I call this issue “the partition of existential field”.〔5〕Since it is the study of relationship among different existential fields and thus to answer the prerequisite or fundamental questions in ontology,the partition of existential field is therefore the highest paradigm of philosophy.〔6〕

2.The criterion of philosophy revolution

Philosophical changes can occur in different levels of philosophy structure,or target different questions in varied levels.However,their effect,meaning and value to the development of philosophy itself are distinctive.Generally speaking,only the changes in ontology has higher value and greater significance.Especially,the transformation of the partition of existential field is fundamental and revolutionary,thus leading to the revolution of philosophy.Whereas the changes in other levels are not of the same significance and thus can only be treated as the non-fundamental progress of philosophy.

We can draw a general conclusion that from the positions of changes,we can decide the nature of the changes.Only changes in the highest paradigm of philosophy could generate the revolution of philosophy.And this is the criterion of philosophy revolution.

Since the partition of existential fields is the highest paradigm of philosophy,then it is the foundation of philosophical theories.In general,the partition of existential field should be firstly put into examination when we try to identify the fundamental nature of a certain philosophy.

3.The base of traditional philosophy:existence = matter + spirit

By looking into the development of philosophy,there are three existential fields in general philosophy tradition:objective ideal world (including God in religion,Plato’s Idea world,Hegel’s absolute spirit,Brahman in Indian ancient philosophy and Zhu Xi’s priori principle in Chinese ancient philosophy),material world and human’s spiritual world.The objective ideal world has been dissolved in general science and philosophy field due to the development of science,which leaves only two existential fields in traditional philosophy,material world and human’s spiritual world.“Existence = matter + spirit” is the highest paradigm and also the base of traditional philosophy theories.

There is an accepted view in western philosophy that two turns occur in the development of philosophy:from ontology to epistemology,and then from epistemology to linguistics.Besides,more views brought up by scholars include phenomenology turn,axiology turn,survival theory turn,theory of practice turn,soma theory turn and so on.Nevertheless,these turns have not changed the highest paradigm of traditional philosophy,still focusing on the key questions and shift of the domain of concerning subjects.So,these turns are not fundamental and will not lead to the revolution of philosophy.

4.Information turn of philosophy:existence = matter + information

Since the middle of the 20th century,with the rise of disciplines of contemporary complex information systems,a new world field - information world began to present its horizon.After the 1980s,with the birth and development of China’s information philosophy,this information world started to gain its provision and interpretation in the level of general existence of ontology.

Different from previous philosophical changes,PI firstly transformed traditional philosophy in the way of existential field partition,namely the highest paradigm of philosophy as clarified before,instead of only changes and shift in partial research fields or individual research problems.As we have already mentioned,the foundation of traditional philosophical argument is “existence = matter + spirit”.The new way of partition proposed by PI in China is “existence = matter + information (spirit is only a high-level form of information activity)”.

Since not all the objective is not real and there are universally-interactive complicated phenomena of self-reflection,inter-mapping and inter-representation among all kinds of things,it’s noted that the objective world is all real identified by traditional materialist is untenable.If we define matter as “objective reality”,we can not apply the same term to describe the nature and existential way of this reflection,mapping and representation.I define this kind of phenomena as “objective unreality” or “objective virtuality”,whereas the spiritual world as “subjective unreality” or “subjective virtuality”,since it also has the characteristics of unreality.

As the objective and subjective unreality both are derived from different interaction of the objective reality,we have reason to name the first two as the indirect existence,and the last one as the direct existence.Since the indirect existence is the reflection of the direct existence,the content of indirect existence is the information of the direct existence.Thus we can define that the direct existential world is the material world and the indirect existential world is the information world.As the information world is derived from interaction in the material world,the former is the self-reflection of the latter.Based on this,I define information as “the philosophical category of the representation of indirect existence,and information is the self-reflection of the existential way and status of matter (direct existence).”

From the above discussion,we can naturally draw a conclusion that because information is derived from interaction of matter and information world is the exhibition of material world,so material world still has the first nature of the original existence,and information world has the second nature of the derivative existence.In this way,we still adhere to the monistic materialism.Although,in the view of information genesis mechanism,we argue that matter comes first and information second,I advocate the real actual world is of dual existence of matter and information.This is because there is no beginning of time in cosmic evolution and the all things are in universal interaction,the structure of existing things coagulate information of time and space in their corresponding evolutionary process.So the structures of all existing possessions in the world and even the world itself have been of dual existence,are both matter and information,and the two worlds are inlaid together.

Thus,I propose a new theory of dual existence and dual evolution of matter and information on the basis of material unity,which leads to fundamental changes at the highest level of ontology,or “new philosophical revolution.”〔7〕It was such a revolution that realized the informational turn of philosophy,the symbol of which is the revolutionary “partition of existential field”:“existence = matter + information”.

Ⅲ.Twelve aspects of fundamental transformation in science and philosophy brought by information paradigm

Since the philosophy of information turn leads to the changes in the highest paradigm of philosophy,PI will bring about certain brand-new fundamental transformation in all problems and fields of philosophy,including all basic and non-basic ones.

1.Information ontology:dual existence of matter and information

Partition of existential field in traditional philosophy,existence = matter + spirit,has been transformed by PI theory of its dual existence and evolution of matter and information.

Because of this transformation in the highest paradigm in philosophy,Engel’s so-called philosophical basic question “the relationship between being and thinking” can no longer be interpreted as that of the relationship between matter and spirit.On the basis of this renewed way of existential field partition,to answer Engel’s question requires to explore the relationship between matter and spirit,and also the relationship between matter and information,between information and spirit.In this way,the original simple dual matter-spirit relationship transforms into a more complicated and intertwined interaction among matter,information and spirit,thus leading to the fundamental transformation in the ontology theories of philosophy.The transformation in ontology builds up the basis for changes in other areas of philosophy,by providing a brand new transformative paradigm to all the areas in philosophy,including areas of basic and non-basic problems.This is what we called the outbreak of philosophy revolution.〔8〕

2.Information epistemology:multi-intermediary construction and virtualization of human’s cognitive process

Due to the defined existential statue of objective information world,the ontology of PI provides the basis for revealing human’s cognitive process and mechanism,and also for the revolution in epistemology.

The new epistemology theory developed by PI can be put simply as “the information intermediary theory of epistemology”.It sees matter and spirit,object and subject as a unified process of mutual transformation and generation via the corresponding activities of objective information as intermediary,and it regards cognition as a complicated emergence in the process of comprehensive construction and virtualization of multi information intermediaries.To be specific,there are five aspects in this intermediary level:objective information field,subject’s physiological structure,subject’s cognitive structure,material tools in practice,and information condensation in the history of nature and society.Due to the complicated emergence via multi-levels of intermediaries,it is certain that information of different nature and levels must undergo complex activities,such as information-choosing,matching,transforming,re-constructing,recognizing,storing,interpreting,monitoring,constructing,creating and virtualizing.〔9〕In these series of complicated activities,information shows its complex forms:in-itself information (objective information),for-itself information (information grasped by subject),regenerated information (information created by subject’s spirit),and social information (cultural information created by human beings - an organic integration of the previous information forms).〔10〕

3.Information evolution theory:dual evolution of matter and information

Either scientific or philosophical evolution theories in history is mainly about the evolution of matter and physical form.Whereas,PI’s ontology theory of dual existence of matter and information fundamentally changes human beings’ perspectives on evolution.The theory of dual existence is bound to produce that of dual evolution,which not only freshly interprets all evolution-related philosophical categories from the dual dimension of matter and information,but also amply demonstrates and illustrates the unified relationship between synergism and synchronism of the evolution of matter and information.The evolution view of PI argues that both in the level of the entire universe and that of concrete things exist directions of evolution and devolution,grand circulation of progressing and retrogressing.And respectively,there must exist synchronized evolution and devolution of matter and information in mutually cooperating,bearing,reflecting and defining holographic relationship.〔11〕There is neither “bare information” with no matter to bear with,nor “pure matter” with no specific information to carry.〔12〕

4.Information view of space and time:intrinsic unification of time and space

The contemporary information science,complex self-organized theory and PI demonstrate that spatial structure of matter interrelates and changes in the universal interaction of time process.Respective information of time and space then coagulates through these changes,thus leading to the becoming of time-space-transformed,dual time-and-space and time-space inner merging unified structure.

The new view of time and space investigates the time-space relationship by introducing informational,historical and evolutionary perspective to it,and illustrates the intrinsic mechanism and process,the achievement of universal relation,stipulation and transformation via the way of inter-confusion of time and space.Because all structure of existing matter come into being within the coagulation of time-space transformation,real structure of all things thus is the integration of spatialized time (time condensed into space structure) and temporalized space (structure of space has its own dimension of time).〔13〕

5.Holographic theory:mechanism,process and result of universal relation

Since the inter-confusion of time and space is achieved via information condensation in the interaction and inter-transformation among things,this particular process makes all things the dual existence of matter and information,which is to say,all things are the integration of matter and information.Information-matter thing like this will certainly present its condensed information of different level and various nature in certain ways along its evolution process,which constitutes lots of interesting holographic phenomena.Especially in the evolutionary direction of things,holographic phenomena of various kinds attract much more attention.

I have defined the holography as “complex and multi-level information relation and content which reflect itself in its own structure and coagulate what beyond its actual existence,and we have every reason to regard holographic phenomena as the result of related information coagulation and accumulation which could realized in the process of complex self-organized evolution”.I’ve drawn out five types of holographic phenomena:holography of historical evolution,holography of futuristic revolution,holography of evolution series,holography of internal evolution and holography of evolution structure;among which,holography of series evolution and that of internal evolution are the basic holographic phenomena.Besides,I particularly emphasize certain constraints and specification when talking about holographic phenomena.Firstly,it is only related to the evolutionary direction;secondly,holography is insufficient;thirdly,information of holography mainly concerns the procedural aspects;and lastly,do not over-generalized the holographic view.〔14〕

6.Information view of value:matter — information dual value theory

The universal interactive relationship among things brings out the condensation of information,leading to the dual existence and dual evolution of matter and information,inter-confusion of time and space and various holographic phenomena,and also bringing about certain for-object and beneficial relation among things’ universal interaction.On the basis of this universal for-object and beneficial relationship,a new value philosophy could be built upon the body of nature.I’ve defined value in general philosophical level that “value is the effect realized via interactions within or between things (namely matter and information,with spirit as the subjective form of information)”.Based on this definition,the value philosophy is to begin with the theory of natural value and heaven’s value,and could explains humane/subject value as in traditional value philosophy,besides it’s also the dual value theory of matter value and information value.〔15〕

7.Information view of society:new theory of the nature of society and evolution of society

From the viewpoint of information activities,it is the essence of human society to grasp,utilize,develop and create information,and the strengthening scale of intermediary links of information-grasping,utilizing,developing and creating is the scale of human society evolution.〔16〕

The PI holds that the different civilizations of mankind are based on different information processing,creation and dissemination as their technical premise.The information network,for the development of human science and technology,economy and society,is not only a new way of information processing,creating and dissemination,but also a new production mode,organizing model and development model.The popularity and development of information networks has and will inevitably lead to the birth of a new network culture.With the development of this new network culture,the system of human values will increasingly develop in a diversified direction,and the result of its development will to a great extent weaken and dissolve kinds of systems of the traditional world hegemony and centralization of state power,so as to establish a more democratic and free political system,economic model and social order.The development of information network has become a technical prerequisite for establishing a new socialized civilization system of information society.〔17〕

8.Information view of production:new understanding of the nature of human’s practice and production

Traditional science and philosophy interpret the production and practice of mankind mostly in the dimension of material activity.Whereas,the new paradigm of dual existence of matter and information presented by PI provides a new informational dimension for the interpretation of human production and practice.

Human’s production and practice activities can be seen as a process where intentional information firstly created by subject,implemented through subject’s plan information and then realized itself in object.In the view of PI,because human’s production can not create matter,so that productive activities can only be the production of information,and human’s productivity can only be informational productivity.〔18〕

The PI is not only concerned with the production of human’s material goods,but also with that of human spirit,the reproduction of human beings and the production of human relations,virtual production and many other forms of productions,and takes the process of various forms of production as intertwined and inner-integrated unity with each other as its basis and premise.〔19〕

9.The theory of information thinking:transformation of scientific and philosophical way of thinking

According to the unified and transformative relationship between scientific paradigm,scientific world picture and scientific way of thinking,PI divides the grand scientific revolutions in human history into three stages,and through these three major scientific revolutions,the scientific world picture of mankind transforms from the the substantive realism to the field realism,and then to the information system complex theory,while human science thinking way accordingly transits from the traditional physical thinking to energy thinking,and then to information thinking.

The PI makes specific stipulation of the information view and informational way of thinking.The information view means that information is regarded as basic existence different from quality and energy,and general understanding,specification and cognition of its nature,existence,meaning and value.According to the corresponding comprehension,informational way of thinking requires us to grasp and describe nature,features and attributes of things from the structure of existing things and their interactive mode,evolution program and process of the relationship,to take the structure,relation and process of existing things as carriers or symbol of information,thus to decipher content of indirect existence which contains the historical state,realistic relations and future trends of things,to re-symbolize the real objects or information and to endow them with special type of relationship;all the methods constitute the informational way of thinking or information thinking.〔20〕

10.The theory of thorough coherent unified information science:information scientization of science

Not only philosophy of information can be regarded as a metaphilosophy,but also information science as a metascience.Today’s information science is no longer just a single discipline or a kind of interdisciplinary subject,but rather a subject system involving many domains and cross multi levels.Science in the information age goes through the process of overall informatization in the same way as society,economy and life in this era.This informatization process of science development can be aptly worded as the information scientization of science.”〔21〕

Due to its penetrability of all levels of human knowledge,unified information science will be a new modern scientific system of thorough coherence unification.

11.The integration of the existing scientific research program

Information science and information philosophy research programs can well unify reorganization and holism,determinism and non-determinism;integrate elements,relationship,structure and dual emergence (simultaneous construction of new structures in both levels of the whole and its elements);incorporate organization interaction,network feedback loop,holographic reflection,inter-confusion of time and space,unity of direct existence (matter) and indirect existence (information),compatibility of order and disorder,elements of independent personality and the emergence of the overall behavior and many aspects together;and fully reveal the nature of self-organization behaviors,concrete process and mechanism of self-organization genesis,thus roughly making a full coverage of the basic essence of complexity research program and offering informational interpretation dimension for the complexity theory.It seems that the information science and information philosophy research programs are able to accomplish its historical mission to integrate traditional and modern scientific research programs and develop in a unified fashion.〔22〕

12.The comprehensive renovation on the existing science and philosophy

As traditional science and philosophy develop their understandings of the world and all things in the material or spiritual dimension,and when the universal character of information revealed,all human science and philosophy disciplines are facing with the transformation by information paradigm,and require the informational dimension in their comprehension.Thus information paradigm could create complete transformation of the existing science and philosophy.

As illustrated,it is inevitable and reasonable for human’s science and philosophy once again being involved in certain kind of interactive integrated unified development.

For reasons of space,if you want to know about more changes to philosophy caused by philosophy of information,you are highly welcomed to refer to my book: Philosophy of Information: Theory, System and Method.〔23〕

References:

〔1〕 The Collected Works of Marx and Engels,Vol.1,People’s Publishing House:Beijing,China,1995,p.220.

〔2〕Wiener, Cybernetics,Science Press:Beijing,China,1963,p.133.

〔3〕Wu K.,Philosophical Forced Analogy and Philosophical Critique, Social Sciences in China,1995(4),pp.117-125.(The English version) Philosophical Forced Analogy and Philosophical Critique, Social Sciences in China (English Version),1997(4),pp.74-78.

〔4〕Aristotle, Metaphysics,translated by Li Zhen,Shanghai People’s Publishing House:Shanghai,China,2005,p.83.

〔5〕Wu K.,The Segmentation of Existential Fields, Science,Dialectics,Modernization,1986(2),pp.32-33.

〔6〕Wu K.,The Segmentation of Existential Fields and the Meaning of Philosophy of Information as New Philosophical Revolution, The Journal of Humanities,2013(5),pp.1-6.

〔7〕Wu K.,Li Q., An Introduction to Information Theory in Philosophy,Shaanxi People’s Press:Xi ’an,China,1987.

〔8〕Wu K.,Philosophical Basic Problems and Philosophical Fundamental Turning, Hebei Academic Journal,2011(4),pp.11-21.

〔9〕Fang Yuan(pen name of Wu K.),Discussion on Information Intermediary Theory of Philosophical Epistemology, Journal of Lanzhou,1984(5),pp.57-63.

〔10〕Wu K.,State of Philosophical Information, Presentation Magazine,1984(3),pp.33-35.

〔11〕Wu K.,The Dual Stipulation of the category of Evolution, Journal of Harbin University,1994(1),pp.12-16,2.

〔12〕Wu K.,Discussion on Several Major Issues related on the Ontology of Information, Journal of Philosophical Analysis,2015(2),pp.42-54.

〔13〕Wu K.,The Interaction and Dual Evolution, Journal of Inner Mongolia University,1994(2),pp.94-99.

〔14〕Wu K.,The New State of Natural Evolution, Journal of Northwest University (Social Sciences),1994(2),pp.7-13.

〔15〕Wu K.,Outline of the Statement on General Value Philosophy — Understanding the Value Philosophy in the Terms of Natural Entity, The Journal of Humanities,1997(2),pp.18-21,25.

〔16〕Wu K.,Liu Shiwen,Li Qi,Discussion on some Problems of Information Theory Research, Social Science Reviews,1986(1),pp.50-57,79.

〔17〕Wu K.,Value Conflict in Cyberculture, Journal of Shenzhen University,2001(5),pp.45-51.

〔18〕Wu K.,Informational Production and Informational Productivity, Journal of Harbin University,1997(3),pp.28-39.

〔19〕Wu K.,On the Complexity of the theory of “All-round Production” by Marx and Engels, Journal of Renmin University of China,2006(6),pp.86-92.

〔20〕Wu K.,Material Thinking,Energy Thinking and Information Thinking:Three Big Leap of Human Scientific Thinking Mode, Journal of Academic Circles,2002(2),pp.60-91.

〔21〕Wu K.,Information Scientization of Science, Qinghai Social Science,1997(2),pp.53-59.

〔22〕Wu K.,Information Science Program and the Complexity of the Self-organizing Evolution, Journal of China Renmin University,2004(5),pp.10-16.

〔23〕Wu K., Philosophy of Information:Theory,Method and System,The Commercial Press:Beijing,China,2005.