Information (preliminary)

This section is devoted to collect the preliminary definitios one can hold about the information concept, as a first step in a further inquire of the core concepts of philosophy in the information age. The question "what is information?" is posed to participants in the seminar "A Journey through philosophy" in a very early stage. Thereafter, participants are invited to write down here their understandings of the term trying to group them in the definitions provided by other participants.

Please, before providing your definition take a careful look to the previous ones and ammend them if you consider necessary, leaving a note in the discussion tab (top, left). Indeed the discussion page can be very productive in a free confrontation of the different understandings as a dialectical approach to a better common understanding.

Preliminary definitions of the concept

Information is a collection of data that has been processed in a meaningful way to meet a specific need. To make it meaningful and useful, it is processed, structured, or presented in a specific context. Information gives data meaning and improves its consistency. It aids in the maintenance of unfavourability and the reduction of uncertainty. As a result, when data is transformed into information, it never contains any irrelevant information. It includes information that is contextual, relevant, and useful. It also entails the manipulation of raw data, which results in the creation of knowledge. As already mentioned, knowledge consists of information and therefore is not the same as information.

• Supporters of this understanding: Kais Kader Ahmed

Information can be understood as an open to interpretation input that affects people behavior, which can be physically or visually perceived.

• Supporters of this understanding: Vanessa Castro

Personally, I’d argue that Information is all around us. Because the position of something itself holds already Information. Everything which isn’t complete random or displays some sort of pattern, does convey to some degree information. For an example the orbits of Planets, the wavelengths of light or the amount of O2 in the air. Which would also mean, that if we gather enough information, we could always come to the right conclusion. Or rather find the truth in itself. Although, in regards of this course I’ve learned that Information only becomes Information if somebody is, to formulate it frankly, is informed. Therefore, there has to be some sort of Network at work.

• Supporters of this understanding: Alexander Prugger