Understanding the Informational Turn: the Fourth Revolution

5th International Workshop on Philosophy and Informatics

Luciano Floridi

Others  :  http://CEUR-WS.org/Vol-332/paper1.pdf
PID  :  49421

来源: CEUR

【 摘 要 】

In this paper I argue that recent technological transformations in the life-cycle of informationhave brought about a fourth revolution, in the long process of reassessing humanity’sfundamental nature and role in the universe. We are not immobile, at the centre of theuniverse (Copernicus); we are not unnaturally distinct and different from the rest of the animal world (Darwin); and we are far from being entirely transparent to ourselves (Freud). We are now slowly accepting the idea that we might be informational organisms amongmany agents (Turing), inforgs not so dramatically different from clever, engineered artefacts,but sharing with them a global environment that is ultimately made of information, theinfosphere. This new conceptual revolution is humbling, but also exciting. For in view of thisimportant evolution in our self-understanding, and given the sort of IT-mediated interactions that humans will increasingly enjoy with a variety of other agents, whether natural or whole of reality.