No communication without manipulation: A causal-deflationary view of information

Cristian Ariel López; Olimpia Iris Lombardi

doi:10.1016/j.shpsa.2018.06.003

No communication without manipulation: A causal-deflationary view of information

Stud Hist Philos Sci. 2019 Feb:73:34-43. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2018.06.003. Epub 2018 Jun 19.

Authors

Cristian Ariel López¹, Olimpia Iris Lombardi²

Affiliations

¹ University of Buenos Aires - University of Lausanne - CONICET, Av. Du Tribunal-Fédéral 40, 33, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland. Electronic address: lopez.cristian1987@gmail.com.
² University of Buenos Aires - CONICET, 3880 Crisólogo Larralde, Capital Federal, Argentina. Electronic address: olimpiafilo@arnet.com.ar.

PMID: 30914122
DOI: 10.1016/j.shpsa.2018.06.003

Abstract

In this paper, we shall describe a new account of information in communicational contexts, namely, a causal-deflationary one. Our approach draws from Timpson's deflationary view and supplies the field of philosophy of information with new tools that will help to clarify the underlying structure of communication: information is an abstract entity that must be involved in a causal link in order to achieve communication. In light of our account, communication is not merely the existence of statistical correlations between source and receiver, as usually understood from a purely formal view. Instead, communication is an asymmetric phenomenon involving causal notions: the destination system must be able to be causally manipulated by intervening on the source for successful communication. In a nutshell, we shall support the following lemma: no communication without manipulation.

Keywords: Causation; Communication; Information; Manipulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't