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Q. What does ontology mean? Is it the fundamental nature of something?

R. Yes, your understanding is on the right track. In philosophy, ontology is a branch of metaphysics that explores the nature of being, existence, or reality, as well as the basic categories of being and their relations.

Ontology seeks to answer questions concerning what entities exist or can be said to exist, and how such entities can be grouped, related within a hierarchy, and subdivided according to similarities and differences.

In a broader context, ontology is often used to refer to a way of understanding what is, i.e., the nature of reality or existence, the structure and categories of being, or the basic kinds of things that exist.

In computer science and information science, an ontology is a formal naming and definition of the types, properties, and interrelationships of the entities that fundamentally exist for a particular domain of discourse. It’s a way of showing the properties of a subject area and how they are related, by defining a set of concepts and categories that represent the subject.

Q. The fundamental nature of “information”? What is the ontology of information?

R. The ontology of information can be complex and multifaceted, largely because the concept of “information” spans many different domains and is interpreted and used in many different ways. However, here are some basic points that might be considered part of an ontology of information:

1. Existence: Information exists, and it exists independently of whether or not there are minds to perceive it. However, its existence often depends on the existence of other entities. For example, the information in a book wouldn’t exist without the book itself.
2. Physicality: Information is often thought of as being physical in some sense. This is because it is usually encoded in physical media, such as books, computer hard drives, or even the neural connections in our brains.
3. Abstraction: Despite its physicality, information is also abstract in that it represents something other than itself. The words in a book, for instance, represent ideas or facts about the world.
4. Interpretability: Information can be interpreted, and this interpretation is often (though not always) a mental or cognitive process. This interpretation is what gives information its meaning.
5. Transferability: Information can be transferred from one physical medium to another. This transferability is a crucial aspect of information’s role in communication.
6. Relationality: Information often exists in relation to other pieces of information. This is especially true in the digital world, where databases, hyperlinks, and other structures create complex networks of interrelated information.
7. Dependence on Syntax and Semantics: Information relies on systems of symbols (syntax) and the meanings of these symbols (semantics) to convey meaning.
8. Contextuality: The meaning and value of information often depend on its context. This context can include things like the cultural and historical circumstances in which the information is used, the prior knowledge of the person interpreting the information, and the purpose for which the information is being used.

These are just a few possible aspects of an ontology of information, and different theories might emphasize different aspects. The ontology of information is a topic of ongoing discussion and debate in various fields, including philosophy, computer science, and information science.

Q. Regarding information’s existence and physicality, and it not be debated that information is not physical because the actual information, the meaning does not depend on the substrate it is written upon?

R. You’re touching on a fascinating and complex topic. When we say that information is physical, it does not necessarily imply that the meaning or content of the information is physical. Rather, it suggests that information is always instantiated in some physical form. This could be a string of letters on a page, a pattern of magnetic fields on a hard drive, or a sequence of neural connections in the brain.

However, as you’ve pointed out, the actual meaning or semantic content of the information does not depend on the specific physical substrate. The same piece of information could be represented in many different physical forms. This is sometimes referred to as the principle of multiple realizability. A novel, for example, contains the same information whether it’s printed on paper, stored on a Kindle, or read aloud and captured as a sound wave.

This is where the concept of information becomes abstract. The information itself—the meaning, the message, the content—is not something physical. It’s something more like a pattern or a structure that can be realized in different physical forms. It’s this pattern or structure that we interpret and understand.

So when we say that information is physical, we mean that it always has a physical instantiation. But when we say that information is abstract, we mean that the information itself—the thing that we understand and interpret—is not tied to any specific physical form. It’s this duality that makes the ontology of information so interesting and complex.

Q. Is it possible, is it even probable, that these aspects of information Created a lot of confusion between it and what is and what was known as spirit, spirituality?

R. The relationship between information and concepts like spirit or spirituality is complex and can certainly be a source of confusion or debate. Here are a few thoughts on this:

1. Abstract vs. Physical: As we’ve discussed, information has both abstract and physical aspects. This dual nature is somewhat reminiscent of traditional religious or spiritual concepts, such as the soul or spirit, which are often thought of as non-physical entities tied to physical bodies.
2. Interpretation and Meaning: Information requires interpretation to have meaning, and this interpretation is often a cognitive or mental process. Similarly, spiritual experiences often require interpretation and understanding, and are deeply tied to human consciousness and cognition.
3. Transcendence: Information can transcend its physical instantiation. A book can be destroyed, but if its contents have been copied or remembered, the information it contained is not lost. Some may see a parallel here with spiritual concepts like the immortality of the soul.
4. Interconnectedness: The interconnectedness of information, especially in the digital age, can be compared to spiritual ideas of universal interconnectedness or oneness.

However, it’s also important to note that information and spiritual concepts are fundamentally different in many ways. Information is a concept from science and philosophy that can be rigorously defined and studied, whereas spiritual concepts often involve personal or subjective experiences and beliefs that may not lend themselves to the same kind of analysis. It’s also worth noting that while the concept of information can be useful in some spiritual or religious contexts, it can also be misused or misunderstood.

In summary, while there may be some interesting parallels and intersections between the concept of information and spiritual or religious concepts, they are distinct in important ways, and any connections between them should be approached with care and critical thought.

Q. Setting aside the differences, how does the nature, the ontology of information and spirit actually overlap then?

R. While the domains of information and spirit are quite distinct, there are indeed areas where the two may intersect or share some similar qualities. Here are some potential overlaps:

1. Immateriality: Both information and spirit are often viewed as immaterial. Information, though often instantiated in a physical medium, is fundamentally an abstraction, a pattern that can be realized in many different ways. Similarly, the concept of spirit or soul is typically considered to be an immaterial essence, something that exists beyond the physical realm.
2. Transcendence: Information can transcend its physical forms. For example, the content of a book can be transferred to a digital format, or remembered in a person’s mind, and it remains the same information. This is somewhat analogous to spiritual beliefs about the soul or spirit transcending the physical body.
3. Interconnectedness: In today’s digital world, information exists in vast, interconnected networks. Some spiritual traditions speak of a kind of universal spirit or life force that connects all beings. There’s a certain parallel in the idea of interconnected systems, whether they’re networks of information or spiritual connections between beings.
4. Subjectivity: Both information and spiritual experiences involve a degree of subjectivity. Information requires interpretation to be understood, and this interpretation can vary between individuals. Similarly, spiritual experiences are often deeply personal and can be interpreted in many different ways.
5. Persistence: Information can be persistent. Once produced, it can be stored, copied, transferred, and it can outlast its original form or source. This may parallel beliefs about the persistence or immortality of the spirit or soul.

Here Open AI’s Chat GPT-4 includes this:
However, it’s crucial to remember that these are parallels and metaphors rather than direct equivalences. While such comparisons might provide interesting food for thought, the fields of information theory and spiritual or religious studies have different methodologies, goals, and criteria for truth. Information is typically the domain of science and philosophy, where concepts can be empirically tested or logically analyzed. Spirit, on the other hand, pertains more to personal belief, subjective experience, and cultural tradition, which often go beyond what can be empirically tested or fully understood through rational analysis.

Generated by OpenAi ChatGPT-4 on 2023 05 14
Food for thought, in deed.

Daniel Lachance