December | 2023 | Equivalent eXchange

I’ve long wished for a succinct definition for the notion of information. What is it? What makes something information and another thing disinformation? Why do people accept things as truth that others know as false? Is information something that informs the physical universe, or is it only a way that the human mind tries to structure itself? The nonhuman world seems to get along just fine without knowing anything, doesn’t it?

Here is an idea for a simple schema for information that utilizes notions from other posts.

Distinction = an action that tells or makes a Difference.
Difference = a fact (or part) that is told or is made by a Distinction.
Information = a structured collection of facts (or parts).
Computation = a functional collection of actions.

In relation to the Four Causes, Whitehead’s Criteria, and Structure-Function we see:

Efficient: Consistency: Action: Distinction
Material: Applicability: Part: Difference
Formal: Coherence: Structure: Information
Final: Adequacy: Function: Computation

And so:

A Distinction is an action that tells or makes a Difference, consistently and efficiently.
A Difference is a fact or part that is told or is made by a Distinction, and applies materially.
Information is a structured collection of Differences (as facts or parts), that has a formal coherence.
A Computation is a functional collection of Distinctions (as actions), that are adequate for an end or purpose.