Re: [Fis] A definition of Information

Dear Stan and Pedro (for your remark on this)

I agree that it seem a good idea to ascribe meaning differently based on
the levels of the hierarchy. But as Pedro remarks : is entropy really
foundational? Shiva is actually the god for both destruction and
creation, because you often have to destroy the old to produce something
new. Peirce see this and says that sometimes the habit formation of
evolution will be broken and some new connection be constructed.

But Stan; being a Peircian pansemiotician how can you put the second law
over the law of mind (the tendency to produce habits) and the fact that
the pure feeling of Firstness is behind and in everything. This view
does not attack the foundational character of the second law for the
irreversibility of evolution and establishing the arrow of time in
physics, but it does give a new perspective on meaning and Cosmogony.

"Stanley N. Salthe" wrote:
>
> > Hello Stan: I appreciated your quick response. You say that Information
> >is any constraint on entropy production. What this implies is that
> >information is a constraint on the production of disorder ( another term
> >for entropy) which can only happen if there is the introduction of order.
> >The only way we can consider the concept of order as opposed to disorder
> >is by means of some differentiating attribute; some meaning about the
> >thing that is "ordered" as opposed to "disordered". This is of course
> >radically different from the philosophical perspective taken by Shannon
> >and followers. Your thoughts? And thanks. Syed
>
> Syed -- Remember that much entropy production is a by-product of order
> production by agents. It is for that reason that entropy production is the
> most general appreciation of material dynamics. Whatever happens produces
> entropy from dissipated gradients. Now, as to whether or not the reason
> for anything happening IS in order to produce entropy, I like to note that
> we are in a radically disequilibrated world (otherwise we could not be
> here). Then, (assuming that the Universe is isolated) we know that it's
> strong tendency is to move toward equilibrium. Now, using the
> specification hierarchy: {physical world {material world {biological world
> {{{etc.}}}}, we can see that it is possible to allocate explanation to
> different integrative levels. So, at the material level we can say that
> whatever happens has the purpose of producing entropy. At the biological
> level we find several possible purposes (final causes). For example
> Darwinians say that whatever happens serves to increase the "fitness" of
> populations. So, {entropy production {fitness increase}}. And so on. At
> the sociocultural level, one agency's order may be another's disorder --
> consider our favorite pasttime, war. So, yes, I agree that parsing events
> into order or disorder requires a system of interpretance to make the
> decision. From the Universe's point of view, they would all be equal!
> Now, if the Big Bang had not been so acceleratedy rapid, this problem
> of returning to equilibrium would not be with us (nor would we be here).
> WE are constraints on entropy production because we are part of the
> material accumulations on the surface of the earth as a result of some of
> the Sun's energy being captured rather than being serenely reflected off
> into space. Because we ARE we must serve that greatest Deity, the Second
> Law -- even by dying!
>
> STAN
>
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-- 
Best wishes Søren Brier
Copenhagen Business School
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