E-006 SEP Information (Overview)

What exactly is being evidenced

A reference definition/characterization for Information (Philosophy).

Exact excerpt

The term “information” in colloquial speech is currently predominantly used as an abstract mass-noun used to denote any amount of data, code or text that is stored, sent, received or manipulated in any medium. The lack of preciseness and the universal usefulness of the term “information” go hand in hand. In our society, in which we explore reality by means of instruments and installations of ever increasing complexity (telescopes, cyclotrons) and communicate via more advanced media (newspapers, radio, television, SMS, the Internet), it is useful to have an abstract mass-noun for the “stuff” that is created by the instruments and that “flows” through these media. Historically this general meaning emerged rather late and seems to be associated with the rise of mass media and intelligence agencies (Devlin & Rosenberg 2008; Adriaans & van Benthem 2008b).

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First paragraph of the entry (see local archive / source URL).

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