The Concept of Information

1
The Concept of Information

• Rafael Capurro
• www.capurro.de
• Copenhagen, 2001

2
Contents

• Introduction
• 1. Studies and sources of the word information
• 2. Information as an interdisciplinary concept
• 3. Information in information science
• Conclusion
• References

3
Introduction

• Language and/as information (Weizsäcker)
• Theory dependency of scientific terms
  (Popper/Kuhn)
• A social view of meaning (Wittgenstein)
• Higher-level and lower-level practices

4
1. Studies and sources of the word information

• OED
• Samuel Johnson (1755)
• Latin roots informatio/informo
• Greek origins typos, morphe, eidos, idea
• Modern and postmodern uses

5
2. Information as an interdisciplinary concept

• Information A knowledge process or a property of
  beings?
• Machlup and Mansfield Information as a human
  phenomenon
• Shannon Information is not meaning
• The concept of information in the natural
  sciences Kornwachs/Jacoby, Weiszäcker, Mahler,
  Stonier, Matsuno

6
2. Information as an interdisciplinary concept
(cont.)

• The concept of information in the humanities and
  social sciences
• Qvortrup, Bar-Hillel, Carnap, Bateson
• Dretske, Barwise and Perry, Israel and Perry,
  Pérez Gutierrez
• Oeser, von Foerster, Luhmann
• Bell, Schiller, Habemas, Baudrillard, Giddens,
  Vattimo, Poster, Lyotard, Castells
• Nonaka and Takeuchi, Von Krogh

7
3. Information in information science

• Librarianship and scientific documentation
• IR and the concept of information
• Information as pieces of facts
• Theories of information in IS

8
Conclusion

• Shannons heritage
• Naturalists vs culturalists
• Borgmann
• Fleissner and Hofkirchner Capurros trilemma
• Networked observers and actors

9
References

• Barwise, J., Perry, J. (1983). Situations and
  Attitudes. Cambridge, Mass.
• Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an Ecology of Mind.
  New York.
• Bell, D. (1973). The Coming of the
  Post-Industrial Society. Harmondsworth.
• Borgmann, A. (1999). Holding on to Reality. Univ.
  of Chicago Press.
• Capurro, R.. (1978). Information. München.
  Available http//www.capurro.de/info.html
• - (2001). Informationsbegriffe und ihre
  Bedeutungsnetze. Ethik und Sozialwissenschaften
  12/2001, 1, 14-17. Available http//www.capurro.d
  e/ropohl.htm
• -, Fleissner, P., Hofkirchner, W. (1999) Is a
  Unified Theory of Information Feasible? A
  Trialogue. In Hofkirchner, W. Ed., The Quest for
  a Unified Theory of Information. Amsterdam.
  Available
• http//www.capurro.de/trialog.htm

10
References (cont.)

• Castells, M. (1996-1998). The Information Age -
  Economy, Society, Culture. 3 Vol., Oxford.
• Conrad, M., Marijuan, P.C. Eds. (1996).
  Proceedings of the First Conference on
  Foundations of Information Science. Bio Systems
  38, 87-266.
• Dretske, F.I. (1981). Knowledge the Flow of
  Information. Cambridge.
• Fleissner, P., Hofkirchner, W. (1999). Informatio
  Revisited. Informatik-Forum 8, 126-131.
• Hofkirchner, W. Ed. (1999). The Quest for a
  Unified Theory of Information. Amsterdam.
• HjØrland, B., Capurro, R. (2002). The Concept of
  Information. ARIST (in prep.)

11
References (cont.)

• Janich, P. (1998). Informationsbegriff und
  methodisch-kulturalistische Philosophie. Ethik
  und Sozialwissenschaften, 2, 169-182.
• Kornwachs, K., Jacoby, K. (1996). Information.
  New Questions to a Multidisciplinary Concept.
  Berlin.
• Luhmann, N. (1987). Soziale Systeme. Frankfurt
  a.M.
• Machlup, F., Mansfield, U. (1983). The Study of
  Information. Interdisciplianry Messages. New
  York.
• Matsuno, K. (2000). Dynamics of time and
  information in a dynamic time. BioSystems 46,
  57-71.
• Nonaka, I., Takeuchi, H. (1995). The
  Knowledge-Creating Company. New York.
• Peters, J.D. (1988). Information. Notes Toward a
  Critical History. Journal of Communication
  Inquiry, 12, 10-24.

12
References (cont.)

• Pérez Gutierrez, M. (2000). El fenómeno de la
  información. Madrid.
• Qvortrup, L. (1993). The Controversy over the
  Concept of Information. Cybernetics Human
  Knowing 1, 3-24.
• Ropohl, G. (2001). Der Informationsbegriff im
  Kulturstreit. Ethik und Sozialwissenschaften,
  12/2001, 1, 3-14.
• Shannon, C., Weaver, W. (1949). The Mathematical
  Theory of Communication. Urbana.
• Stonier, T. (1990). Information and the Internal
  Structure of the Universe. London.
• Völz, H. (1982/1983) Information. 2 Vol.,
  Berlin.
• Von Krogh, G., Ichijo, K., Nonaka, I. (2000).
  Enabling Knowledge Creation. Oxford.
• Weizsäcker, C.F. v. (1974). Die Einheit der
  Natur. München.
• Wittgenstein, L. (1958). Philosophical
  Investigations. Oxford.