Read Online In the Beginning Was Information by Werner Gitt - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Werner Gitt
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transmitted is generated in a suitable language in the mind of the sender. In the comprehension process, the symbol combinations are analyzed by the recipient and converted into the corresponding ideas. It is universally accepted that the sender and the recipient are both intelligent beings, or that a particular system must have been created by an intelligent being (Figures 23 and 24, chapter 7).
4.4 The Fourth Level of Information: Pragmatics
Let us again consider book B mentioned initially to help us understand the nature of the next level. There is a Russian saying that "The effect of words can last one hour, but a book serves as a perpetual reminder." Books can have lasting effects. After one has read a software manual, for example, one can use the described system. Many people who read the Bible are moved to act in entirely new ways. In this regard, Blaise Pascal said, "There are enough passages in Scripture to comfort people in all spheres of life, and there are enough passages that can horrify them." Information always leads to some action, although, for our purposes, it is immaterial whether the recipient acts according to the sender’s wishes, responds negatively, or ignores it. It often happens that even a concise but striking promotional slogan for a washing powder can result in a preference for that brand.
Up to the semantic level, the purpose the sender has with the transmitted information is not considered. Every transmission of information indicates that the sender has some purpose in mind for the recipient. In order to achieve the intended result, the sender describes the actions required of the recipient to bring him to implement the desired purpose. We have now reached an entirely new level of information, called pragmatics (Greek
pragmatike
= the art of doing the right thing; taking action).
Some examples of pragmatic aspects are: [14]
a) Concerning the sender:
– What actions are desired of the recipient?
– Has a specific action been formulated explicitly, or should it be implicit?
– Is the action required by the sender to be taken in only one predetermined way, or is there some degree of freedom?
b) Concerning the recipient:
– To what extent does the received and understood meaning influence the behavior of the recipient?
– What is the actual response of the recipient?
Theorem 17: Information always entails a pragmatic aspect.
The pragmatic aspect could:
– be unnegotiable and unambiguous without any degree of freedom, e.g., a computer program, activities in a cell, or a military command;
– allow a limited freedom of choice, like instinctive acts of animals;
– allow considerable freedom of action (only in the case of human beings).
Note: Even if there is considerable variation in the pragmatics resulting from the semantics, it does not detract anything from the validity of Theorem 17.
When language is used, it does not simply mean that sentences are jumbled together, but that requests, complaints, questions, instructions, teachings, warnings, threats, and commands are formulated to coerce the recipient to take some action. Information was defined by Werner Strombach [S12] as a structure which achieves some result in a receiving system. He thus referred to the important aspect of taking action.
We can distinguish two types of action:
a) Fixed:
– programmed actions (e.g., mechanical manufacturing processes, the operation of data processing programs, construction of biological cells, respiration, blood circulation, and the functioning of organs)
– instinctive acts (behavior of animals)
– trained actions (e.g., police dogs, and circus performances involving lions, elephants, horses, bears, tigers, dogs, seals, dolphins, etc.)
b) Flexible and creative:
– learned activities like social manners and manual skills
– sensible actions (humans)
– intuitive actions (humans)
– intelligent actions based on free will (humans)
All the activities of the recipient
4.4 The Fourth Level of Information: Pragmatics
Let us again consider book B mentioned initially to help us understand the nature of the next level. There is a Russian saying that "The effect of words can last one hour, but a book serves as a perpetual reminder." Books can have lasting effects. After one has read a software manual, for example, one can use the described system. Many people who read the Bible are moved to act in entirely new ways. In this regard, Blaise Pascal said, "There are enough passages in Scripture to comfort people in all spheres of life, and there are enough passages that can horrify them." Information always leads to some action, although, for our purposes, it is immaterial whether the recipient acts according to the sender’s wishes, responds negatively, or ignores it. It often happens that even a concise but striking promotional slogan for a washing powder can result in a preference for that brand.
Up to the semantic level, the purpose the sender has with the transmitted information is not considered. Every transmission of information indicates that the sender has some purpose in mind for the recipient. In order to achieve the intended result, the sender describes the actions required of the recipient to bring him to implement the desired purpose. We have now reached an entirely new level of information, called pragmatics (Greek
pragmatike
= the art of doing the right thing; taking action).
Some examples of pragmatic aspects are: [14]
a) Concerning the sender:
– What actions are desired of the recipient?
– Has a specific action been formulated explicitly, or should it be implicit?
– Is the action required by the sender to be taken in only one predetermined way, or is there some degree of freedom?
b) Concerning the recipient:
– To what extent does the received and understood meaning influence the behavior of the recipient?
– What is the actual response of the recipient?
Theorem 17: Information always entails a pragmatic aspect.
The pragmatic aspect could:
– be unnegotiable and unambiguous without any degree of freedom, e.g., a computer program, activities in a cell, or a military command;
– allow a limited freedom of choice, like instinctive acts of animals;
– allow considerable freedom of action (only in the case of human beings).
Note: Even if there is considerable variation in the pragmatics resulting from the semantics, it does not detract anything from the validity of Theorem 17.
When language is used, it does not simply mean that sentences are jumbled together, but that requests, complaints, questions, instructions, teachings, warnings, threats, and commands are formulated to coerce the recipient to take some action. Information was defined by Werner Strombach [S12] as a structure which achieves some result in a receiving system. He thus referred to the important aspect of taking action.
We can distinguish two types of action:
a) Fixed:
– programmed actions (e.g., mechanical manufacturing processes, the operation of data processing programs, construction of biological cells, respiration, blood circulation, and the functioning of organs)
– instinctive acts (behavior of animals)
– trained actions (e.g., police dogs, and circus performances involving lions, elephants, horses, bears, tigers, dogs, seals, dolphins, etc.)
b) Flexible and creative:
– learned activities like social manners and manual skills
– sensible actions (humans)
– intuitive actions (humans)
– intelligent actions based on free will (humans)
All the activities of the recipient
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