Is Information Meaningful Data
Luciano Floridi · PhilSci-Archive (University of Pittsburgh) · 2005
There is not yet consensus on the definition of semantic information. This paper contributes to the current debate by criticising and revising the Standard Definition of objective semantic Information (SDI) as meaningful data. The main thesis defended is that semantic information encapsulates truth, so that meaningful and well-formed data constitute information only if they also qualify as truthful. After a brief introduction, SDI is analysed and then criticised for providing necessary but insufficient conditions for the definition of information. SDI is incorrect because truth-values do not supervene on information, and misinformation (i.e. false information) is not a type of information, but pseudo-information, i.e. not information at all. This is shown by arguing that none of the reasons to interpret misinformation as a type of information is convincing, whilst there are compelling reasons to treat it as pseudo-information. As a consequence, SDI is revised to include a truth-conditi...