Postgraduate Course: Philosophy of Information (PHIL11197)
Course Outline
| School | School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course examines different conceptual analyses of information and their implications for issues in cognitive science, epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. It covers questions such as: Can we perceive information? Does information convey knowledge? Is misinformation nevertheless a form of information, i.e. can information be false? Does physics tell us the universe is fundamentally information? Do interactions in realms of pure information (chatrooms, MMORPGs) carry the same ethical obligations as physical interactions? and Who has a right to information about your activities online? |
| Course description |
This course covers several different conceptions of what information is (including Shannon information, semantic information, Kolmogorov information, and ecological information). Each new notion of information is motivated by conceptual questions that philosophers (or philosophically minded statisticians, computer scientists, cognitive scientists, physicists, etc.) have wanted a notion of information to solve.
The course begins with a brief introduction to the basics of probability theory, and the different philosophical conceptions of probability (subjective vs. frequentist), before introducing Shannon information (which is defined in terms of probability). Conceptual questions about Shannon information, including whether it satisfies our intuitions about the factivity of information, lead to the notion of semantic information and its applications (e.g. naturalizing epistemology - Dretske; naturalizing semantics - Perry). This 'standard' view of information then serves as the backdrop for the second half of the course, which covers a selection of more idiosyncratic notions of information and their applications. At each stage, we will reflect on how the different conceptions of information introduced so far might offer different perspectives on the philosophical issues addressed.
Special topics covered in the second half of the course may include:
- Kolmogorov information - information as inverse susceptibility to compression
- the conjecture that fundamental physics is essentially a theory of information flow, and thus information may serve as a subvenience basis for all of physical reality.
- Gibson's notion of 'ecological information' as a target of direct perception
- norms of internet interactions vs. norms of physical interactions
- who owns / has rights to information (generator, user, platform, etc.)?
In the final paper, students will be encouraged to pursue their own interests in information, as well as any background experience they bring to the course, applying distinctions and insights about information introduced in the course to a self-designed research topic.
Readings (required + optional) may include (selections from)
- Weaver, W. (1949) "Recent Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Communication"
- Dretske, F. (1981) Knowledge and the Flow of Information. MIT Press
- Israel, D. and Perry, J. (1990) 'What is Information?' In Philip P. Hanson (ed.), Information, Language and Cognition. University of British Columbia Press.
- van Benthem, J. (2012) Logical Dynamics of Information and Interaction. Columbia UP.
- Scarantino, A., & Piccinini, G. (2010). Information without truth. Metaphilosophy, 41, 313-330.
- Floridi, L. (2005) 'Is Semantic Information Meaningful Data?' Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 70(2): 351-370.
- Adriaans, P. (2009) 'Between Order and Chaos: The Quest for Meaningful Information' Theory of Computing Systems 45(4): 650-674
- Deutsch, D. (2002) 'It from Qubit'
- Dibbell, J. (1993) 'A Rape in Cyberspace' The Village Voice
- Turilli, M. and Floridi, L. (2009) 'The Ethics of Information Transparency' Ethics and Information Technology 11(2): 105-112.
- Gelfert, A. (2018) "Fake News: A Definition" Informal Logic 38: 84-117
- Zuboff, S. (2019) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Profile Books.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2023/24, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
One 3000 word essay (100%) |
| Feedback |
- Optional formative essay mid-way through semester
- Mandatory discussion of outline for cumulative essay in final week of course |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- understand technical references to information in the philosophy literature
- critically evaluate philosophical analyses of the concept of information
- develop core skills in philosophical argumentation, especially those that engage formal and empirical results
- participate in contemporary debate on the definition and ethics of information
- critically analyse and constructively intervene on policy debates concerning disinformation, fake news, and information ownership
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Reading List
General Background Reading:
Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Information (2016), ed. Floridi, Routledge
Philosophy of Information (2008), ed. Adriaans, van Benthem, Elsevier North Holland
Philosophical Introduction to Probability (2005), Maria Carla Giovatti, CSLI
The Philosophy of Information (2013), Floridi, OUP
The Ethics of Information (2015), Floridi, OUP
Essential Reading:
(examples for reference, mandatory readings still to be finalized)
Weaver, W. (1949) "Recent Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of Communication"
Dretske, F. I. (1983) 'Precis of Knowledge and the Flow of Infomation' (+ commentaries), Behavioral and Brain Sciences 6: 55-90.
Millikan, R. (2013). 'Natural information, intentional signs and animal communication.' In U. Stegmann (Ed.), Animal communication theory: Information and influence (pp. 133-146). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Stegmann, U. (2015) "Prospects for Probabilistic Theories of Natural Information" Erkenntnis 80: 869-893
Israel, D. and Perry, J. (1990) 'What is Information?' In Philip P. Hanson (ed.), Information, Language and Cognition. University of British Columbia Press.
Floridi, L. . (2005) 'Is Semantic Information Meaningful Data?' Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 70(2): 351-370.
Fetzer, J. H. (2004) "Information: Does it Have to be True?" Minds and Machines 14: 223-229.
Fallis, D. (2015) "What is Disinformation?" Library Trends 63: 401-426.
Gelfert, A. (2018) "Fake News: A Definition" Informal Logic 38: 84-117
Dibbell, J. (1993) 'A Rape in Cyberspace' The Village Voice
Wolfendale, J. (2007) "My avatar, my self: Virtual harm and attachment" Ethics and Information Technology 9:111-119
Schechtman, M. (2012) "The Story of my (Second) Life: Virtual Worlds and Narrative Identity" Philosophy of Technology 25:329-343
Zuboff, S. (2019) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Profile Books.
pp. v ("the definition"), 8-14, 63-97 (Ch.3), 232-253 (ch.8), 292-327 (ch.10)
Deutsch, D. (2002) 'It from Qubit' |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Critical and reflective thinking; creative problem solving; intellectual autonomy; research and enquiry; effective communication |
| Keywords | philosophy,information,knowledge,contemporary problems |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Alistair Isaac
Tel: (0131 6)51 5174
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Sabina Ali
Tel: (0131 6) 50 4400
Email: |
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