Re: [Fis] Evolutionary, networked and systemic information "theory" (ENSI- theory)

 <http://www.leydesdorff.net/incursion/index.htm> The Construction and
Globalization of the Knowledge Base in Inter-human Communication
Systems, Canadian Journal of Communication 28(3) (2003) 267-289; <
<http://users.fmg.uva.nl/lleydesdorff/incursion/incursion.pdf> pdf
version>

Abstract
The relationship between the "knowledge base" and the "globalization" of
communication systems is discussed from the perspective of communication
theory. I argue that inter-human communication takes place at two
levels. At the first level information is exchanged and provided with
meaning and at the second level meaning can reflexively be communicated.
Human language can be considered as the evolutionary achievement which
enables us to use these two channels of communication simultaneously.
Providing meaning from the perspective of hindsight is a recursive
operation: a meaning that makes a difference can be considered as
knowledge. If the production of knowledge is socially organized, the
perspective of hindsight can further be codified. This adds
globalization to the historically stabilized patterns of communications.
Globalization can be expected to transform the communications in an
evolutionary mode. However, the self-organization of a knowledge-based
society remains an expectation with the status of a hypothesis.

>From the article: "The meaning of information can be defined only with
reference to a system that is able to organize the information. The
generation of meaning therefore assumes a system operating over time.
The specification of a system of reference provides the (Shannon-type)
information with system-specific meaning. That is, a system contains a
substance in which information is communicated. This substance can also
be considered as a medium of the communication. A probabilistic entropy
is generated whenever the communication system operates and the medium
is consequently redistributed. This Shannon-type information can be
measured, but the measurement results could additionally be provided
with a substantive interpretation if the system of reference were to be
specified."

  _____

Loet Leydesdorff
Amsterdam School of Communications Research (ASCoR)
Kloveniersburgwal 48, 1012 CX Amsterdam
Tel.: +31-20- 525 6598; fax: +31-20- 525 3681
 <mailto:loet@leydesdorff.net> loet@leydesdorff.net ;
<http://www.leydesdorff.net/> http://www.leydesdorff.net/

 
 <http://www.upublish.com/books/leydesdorff-sci.htm> The Challenge of
Scientometrics ; <http://www.upublish.com/books/leydesdorff.htm> The
Self-Organization of the Knowledge-Based Society
 
Received on Wed Sep 24 11:02:54 2003