Informatica 17 (1993) 65-80 65 METAPHYSICALISM OF INFORMING Anton . P. Železni kar Volaričeva ul. 8, 61111 Ljubljana, Slovenia anton. p .zelez nikar @ijs .si Keywords: counterinforming, cyclicity, informational embedding, informing, intelligence, metaphys- icalism, parallelism Edited by: Jifi Slechta Received: January 26, 1993 Revised: February 18, 1993 Accepted: March 1, 1993 This paper is an introduction to the phenomena, of metaphysical informing occurring within an informational entity [Železnikar 92a, Železnikar 92b]. The basic question is how to structure and how to organize the processes of informing' wit/¡in the metaphysical triplet of informing, counterinforming, and informational embedding, which perform cyclically, in parallel, and spontaneously in a complex entity-metaphysical cycle. The problem of the so-called metaphysical informing (called metaphysicalism) has to be solved conceptually and, then, constructively, that is, in a language formalized (machined) way. The open cyclic-parallel and spontaneous informing hides the potentiality of intelligence (intelligent information) which through informing, counterinforming, and information®/ embedding of an informational entity in question comes to the informational surface (of an observer). The aim of this paper is to expose certain possibilities of metaphysical informing within machines, programs, and tools performing in an informationally arising environment. Metaphysicalism, that is, cyclic, spontaneous, entity-intentional and informationally open informing, seems to be the most fun dam en -tal problem which has to be solved formally (constructively) on the way to informational machine. To some extent, the possibilities of such proceedings are aireaefy visible. Ich würde hier sagen, daß uns ein Vorstellungsakt als solcher direkt anschaulich wird, wo wir gerade diesen Unterschied zwischen Vorstellung und Vorstellung dieser Vorstellung phänomenologisch konstantieren. —Edmund Husserl [Husserl 00] II/l 508 1 Introduction Metaphysicalism1 (called also metaphysically cyclic informing [Zeleznikar 92b]) is a term denoting the interior phenomenalism of an informational entity. Metaphysicalism of an informational entity means its own circular-parallel and 'This paper iä a private author's work and no part of it may be used, reproduced or translated in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles. spontaneous informing. The metaphysical pertains to an entity's circular and parallel informing, which is spontaneous, that is, speaking generally, unforeseeable, unpredictable to certain extent (sense) or informationally arising, however, entity-intentional, structurally and organizationally oriented or, simply, informationally persevering. Informing as a phenomenon of an informational entity is the entity process, by which the entity arises, that is, develops, maintains both its structure and its own and from the environment impacted phenomenality, acts in an informational way. Informing as an entity active component performs, as we say, through informing per se, counterinforming, and informational embedding. In the triplet informing-counterinforming-embedding, the informing is a regular informational phenomenon being in accord with the entity noTmal intention, its plienomenalizing informational stream, keeping the entity identity, 66 65 Informática 17 (1993) 65-80 A.P. Železni kar structure, and organization. In contrary to informing and in regard to it, the counter informing is a disturbing informing component which arises during the process of informing, as a consequence of interior and exterior informational impacts. At the first glance, as a result within an entity informing, counterinforming is not well-structured and well-organized yet, it is not informationally well-connected in respect to the ruling informing, which determines the character of informational entity. Informational embedding as the next component in the informing of an entity has to connect properly the arising and from the environment arriving informational items to the informational body of the entity. Embedding as a form of informing is arising according to the phenomena of the arising information within counterinforming as well as the phenomena of the arriving information from the entity environment. In the pointed sense, metaphysicalism is nothing else than a common term for the informational phenomenality within an informational entity, within which the phenomena of informing, counterinforming, and informational embedding occur. This interior phenomenon of an informing entity* is not necessarily evident for the entity exterior observer and, as one may say, remains concealed to a certain informational extent. The aim of this paper is to analyze and to determine these phenomena formally by means of the informational language [Zeleznikar 92a] and, through this formalization, to capture the con-ceptuality of informing of an informational machine implementation [Zeleznikar 92c]. Similar needs can arise within the so-called knowledge archives projects [Knowledge 92], where knowledge and components of knowledge can emerge and have to be determined informationally. 2 Formalizing Some Basic Axioms of Informing How does an informational entity, marked by a, inform and in which way is it informed? We distinguish four basic types of a's informing called externalism, internalism2, metaphysicalism, and 5The informational internalism may be comprehended as a subjective informational phenomenalism, phenomenal-izing the world and the entity into the entity in question. phenomenalism [Zeleznikar 92b]. The externalism3 of the informational operand a means the possibility of a to inform other entities and itself, called also a's informing(ness) for others and itself The informingness of a is its basic (potential) property (predicate, physical phenomenon) marked by the general informational operator |= on its right side. The externalism of entity a is represented by informational formula a [= and reads a inform(s). Thus, a |= is an open formula (with the open right side of operator |=). The internalism of the informational operand a means the possibility of a to be informed by other entities and by itself; it is called also a's in-formedness by others and by itself. The informed-ness of a is its basic (potential) property (predicate, physical phenomenon) marked by the general informational operator f= on its left side. The internalism of entity a is represented by informational formula |= a and reads a is/are informed or a is/are being informed. Thus, |= a is an open formula (with the open left side of operator |=). The metaphysicalism of the informational operand a means the possibility of a to inform and to be informed by itself; it is called also a's informingness and informedness in itself. The interior cyclic and spontaneous informingness and informedness of a, called a's metaphysicalism, is its basic (potential) property (predicate, physical phenomenon) marked by the general informational formula (expression) o (= a. This formula reads a informs and is being informed metaphysically or, in an informationally general way, a informs and is being informed cyclically and spontaneously in itself. However, metaphysicalism a |= a is in no way a closed formula depending solely on a's own (internal) informingness and informedness. The last of basic informational axioms is called phenomenalism4. The phenomenalism of entity a is a consequence of its externalism, internalism, and metaphysicalism, is an informational system informational externalism is called also informatio prima because of the basic informational hypothesis that everything, which is, informs. 4Informational phenomenalism is the most general principle, by which things inform and are informed in various ways, e.g. physically, biologically, socially, etc. Phenomenalism may not be replaced by phenomenology, which is a philosophical discipline (for instance, [Husserl 00]). METAPHYSICALISM OF INFORMING Informatica 17 (1993) 65-80 67 of those phenomena and a systemic expression of two basic formulas (connected in parallel by a semicolon) a |=;(= a. Thus, the previous formulas are subformulas of ct's phenomenalism, that is (a K 1= a N a) C (a p; b a) Informational operator C marks the subinforming entities (externalism, internalism, metaphysical-ism), separated by commas, within the informing entity (phenomenalism). The four basic axioms, which pertain to externalism, internalism, metaphysicalism, and phenomenalism., are forms of the so-called informa-tionalism concerning basic modes of an informational entity informing (in Latin, modi informa-tionis). We have formalized them by senseful formulas being derived from basic axioms pertaining to entity a [Zeleznikar 92b]. These formulas are expressions. Externalism means always an expression, that is, exteriorization [Derrida 67] (output phenomenalism). On contrary, internalism means an impression, that is, interiorization (input phenomenalism). Both externalism and internalism carry meaning (in German, Bedeutung [Husserl 00]). This interwoven meaning causes the expression and impression of an entity metaphysicalism to an exterior observer together with the intention of circular and spontaneous metaphysical phenomenality. Similar could be said for o's phenomenalism. Within this expressional and meaningful scope the following can be concluded: metaphysicalness of a possesses its own externalism, internalism, metaphysicalism, and phenomenalism. And, also all externalism, internalism, and phenomenalism of a possess each own metaphysicalism (metaphysical recursiveness). But by cyclic and parallel decomposition of metaphysicalism a [= a, the marker (informational operand) a develops and is being developed through the arising of its meaning (contents, significance, structure, organization, informational broadening). In parallel to the cyclic decomposition, as a consequence of a straightforward metaphysical analysis, parallel meanings can emerge and in this way altogether can be composed into a complexly developing scheme of the initial (symbolic) metaphysicalism a |= a. A metaphysical informational system concerning entity a is coming into existence through informing of a and it concerning environment. 3 Problems of Informing of an Informational Entity The question is how to determine, conceptualize, design, construct, organize and, lastly, implement the process of informing as a regular activity of an informational entity. What to say in accord to informing which represents the active informing component of an informational entity? With the last question, the duality of informingness (active component) and informedness (passive com: ponent) is implicitly introduced into the meaning of informational entity. The preceding questions are on the way to possibilities of an informational machine implementation which, in its particular cases, reduces in, for instance, electronic dictionary, knowledge archives [Knowledge 92], expert tools, or intelligent machine. The general informational operator |= is, from the view of informational operand a, an implicit (to a belonging) expression of informing of (within) operand a. Informing of operand a can also be explicated in the form of an operand entity, marked by 2a, or by the functional (predicative) form 1{o). A more directly corresponding notation for this kind of informing which pertains to a would be simply A. The correspondence between entities a,/3,7, • • - u? and their informing would be A,B,C, - •• Z, respectively. 3,1 Basic Metaphysical Decomposition Within an informational entity a, the outmost metaphysical cycle will be a |= a. By definition, through the most primitive metaphysical decomposition, there is o "Def /((or|=Ia)|=a);\ ^ (a b (I. b a)) J (1) As informing Ia is introduced, it represents an a—inner metaphysical cycle in the form "Def ( ((la \= a) \= Iay, \ (2) where =±Dcf is read as informs or means by definition. In the first step of analysis of informing Xa, we put the question how could XCi be positioned and attitudinized within a and vice versa or, how do a and Xa impact each other dynamically in an 68 Informática 17 (1993) 65-80 A.P. Železni kar informational way. The basic informational cycles pertaining to informingness and informedness of both entity a and its informing Ja are, in fact, manifold, e.g., (a (= Xa) \= ft a-metaphysicalism 1 ^ a |= (Xa |= a) Q-metaphysicalism 2 I (3) (Xa (= a) |= Ja JQ-metaphysicalism 1 1 XQ |= (a |= Xa) Ja-metaphysicalism 2 J The question is, in which way a particular metaphysical cycle could imply the alternative ones. Thus, considering all possibilities of formula system 3, hypothetically, ((£M)f=0=* (*?l=OM; ; V ri N U h v) J (4) where informational operator represents the informational implication and reads as informs in an implicative way or, simply, implies. In formula system 3, all formulas, that is, (<* |= Xa) |= a; a (IQ |= a); (Xa h a) j= la; and 1a (= (a |= Xa), are metaphysical and deduced (decomposed) from the basic metaphysical, that is, information ally cyclic form a (= a and its inner consequence Xa |= Xa. Sometimes, we understand these basic formulas as the shortcuts for a's and X^s metaphysicalism which complexities are hidden in the general informational operator |=. Thus, the decomposition of a [= a and Xa \= Xa concerns, in fact, the cyclically connecting informational operator |=. We shall deal with more complex and parallel basic informational and composed (also perplexed) informational cycles within an entity metaphysicalism. 3.2 Spontaneity of Informing In the second step of our investigation we rise the question of possibilities of (inner, metaphysical) informational spontaneity of informing la, that is, of the phenomenon of informational arising of entity a. Informational spontaneity does not mean an arbitrary development of an entity contents, structure and organization, that is, of an arbitrary entity-informational broadening, meaningful filtering or notional purification. In an informational situation and attitude, entity a already has its informational structure and organization (course, orientation, intention, behavior) and in its own way filtered informational impactedness of its exterior (informedness) on disposal, both in the form of informing Xa and entity a as a whole (including also the temporarily passive components of its arising informational structure). Informational spontaneity of a is caused intentionally by itself and it impacting exterior and is in accord with its instantaneously changing (arising) orientation (worldliness). We have to answer the question of spontaneity pertaining to the entity-informational intention in a constructive way. Which mechanisms for informational spontaneity simulation, modeling, and organization are realistic, machine realizable, and conceptually possible? Answers to the last question are various and depend on particular situation, for instance, multimedial, pictorial, acoustic, and linguistic, pertaining to signals, data, written text, dictionaries [Dictionary 90a, Dictionary 90b], knowledge archives [Knowledge 92], etc. Spontaneity means, for instance, a free moving along an existing informational net and taking with informational items which correspond, coincide, fit, match, etc. an informational situation and connect, interweave, embed, interpret, etc. them into, in, and within a concrete informational entity. This model of spontaneity could be called a model of free informational association. In fact, the decision, which items in the net to take with, is spontaneous, depending on some distinguished informational attitudes concerning the entity in question and its informational environment . It is to stress that spontaneity as such is an informational entity by itself, which is a constitutive part of the informational entity and of to the entity pertaining informational environment. Spontaneity is intentional, concerns a goal-oriented information, is in no way something information-ally surprising and quite unexpected. It arises from an informational impulse, tendency, but unplanned as an internal force or cause. Informa-tionally spontaneous strategies, procedures, random associative processes, and like that have to METAPHYSICALISM OF INFORMING Informatica 17 (1993) 65-80 69 be conceptualized and used as system supporting mechanisms for spontaneous informing of entities. 3.3 Some Inner States of Circular Informing How does an informational entity a begin to inform and how does it inform from one situation into another? The beginning of an entity informing Ta is caused by the appearance of marker a, which is the most simple expression and carries the most primitive meaning, for instance, an identifier, a headword, symbol, token, sign, etc. In this very beginning situation, informing la informs the basic meaning being different from nothing5. In an informational environment, the informing of initial entity a is being supported, for instance, through its physical environment, informational machine, knowledge archive, informational dictionary, living actor, linguistic system, multimedia exterior, associative mechanisms, dispersive algorithmic procedures, artificial surroundings, etc. Several entities can be informed of the occurrence of an initial entity a and can support its informational arising in different informational ways. How does this inner development of informing proceed and which are the proposed (defined) mechanisms, structure, organization, in short, the entity metaphysicalism? We have to develop a systematic approach to the problem of informing, which could be applied in cases of an informational environment implementation, for instance, in an informational machine or even in a computer, which can model an adequate informational environment. Informing Xa is an active part of entity a. Sometimes, by the whole informational activity of entity a is meant. But the emphasis of informing as a distinguishable entity within an entity as a unit is in its includedness or participation, that is, la ^Def C «0 (5) 5The nothing means the nonappearance of something in an informational context. However, as soon as we speak about the nothing of something, the something appears in the informational context and becomes an informing entity. Through this, the informational existence of something (as nothing) cannot be denied anymore. In the metaphysical sense, there is (ia b ia) c(ttN) (6) irrespective of the possible informational structure of cycle Ta b Ia. It is understood that informing Ta is an informationally subordinated active component of informational entity (unity) a. According to definition 5, as a consequence of the basic metaphysical includedness of la in o, we can introduce the includedness of corresponding 2a-cycles, C a) "Def ( ((IQ b Ja) C (a |= a)) = ( {{la b «) b W C ^ ((a b b a)i (2a b (a b ^a)) C V (a b (Ia b «)) \ / (7) for the corresponding short-form metaphysical decompositions. The decomposition procedure can extend further to longer and longer forms of cycles considering the components of informing, counterinforming, and informational embedding, that is, considering the generalized idea of metaphysical informing as discussed in the previous sections. In concrete cases, these general terms will be particularized and, certainly, decomposed in specific (particular) ways. Within the general context, we can speak about short, medium-sized, and long metaphysical cycles of informing. If we introduce the measure for metaphysical length £meta of an informational formula
) h sa;
£a ^ ¿a
However, we shall see, how these initial cycles will become as long as the longest cycle of entity a (formula 25) because of the strict circular nature of a's informing.
6.2 Basic Metaphysical Cycles of an Informing Entity
We distinguished six informational entities as basic components of an metaphysical cycle belong-
Informational operator € is read as informs in the context of a set of entities.
6.3 Metaphysical Cycles Pertaining to Informing Xa
Informing Ia of informational entity a is the inner mechanism of the activity of informational entity a. Within this cycle of informing several other cycles inform, for instance, both the counterinfor-mational and the embedding-informational one.
The primitive metaphysicalism of a's informing (the starting point of metaphysical decomposition) is expressed by formula la la. The next step of metaphysical decomposition are two possible short cycles, that is,
(Ja )= a) |= J„; I0h(«N Z*) (19)
Counterinforming Ca and informational embedding £a are the informing components (parts) of informing Xa. Thus,
(Ca (= Ca) C la] (£a \= £a) C Xa (20)
with (7„ |= 7„) c Ca and (ett (= eQ) C £a. There may not exist an informational includedness between entities Ca and £a.
Several medium-sized metaphysical cycles con-
METAPHYSICALISM OF INFORMING
Informatica 17 (1993) 65-80 73
cerning Xa can be observed, for instance:
6.5 Long Metaphysical Cycles
(:za 1= ca) h (7a b la);
^a 1= (Ca b (7a b
((ia b fc) b b i»;
(!« h £a) b (efl b Ta); 2"« b (£« b (f<* b £«)); (Pa t= Ca) f= 7a) |= £«) N
((IahOI=7a)N(^l=ia); (21)
(la b Ca) b (7a (= (€a b la));
ia b |= (7a j= 2a)))i
((Pa |= Ca) N 7a) N ^a) N N (((la \= Ca) f= 7«) |= £a) |= (ea |= Ja); Pa h Ca) \= 7or) 1= (¿a b (£« 1= Ja));
(1« b ca) b (7« b (£« b (e« b z«)));
Ia |= (Ca \= (7c 1= {£a b (fa 1= la))))
The next metaphysical cycle of informing, la )= JQ, belongs already to the long metaphysical cycle of la and will be treated in subsection 6.5.
6.4 Counterinformational-embedding Metaphysical Cycles
It seems reasonable to discuss counterinforming and informational embedding within common informational cycles. Counterinformational entity 7a, produced by counterinforming Cf>, has to be informationally embedded before it could become lost in the informational Tealm of the informing entity a. The basic question within this context is what does the arisen counterinformational entity 7a mean at all. The answer to the meaning of 7a is its embedding, that is informational connection into the informational realm of informing entity a.
We introduce the following informational in-cludedness hierarchy concerning the basic metaphysical counterinforming-embedding subcycle:
((Ca NC)Cla)C a; (Ca |= Ca) ^Def
((((Ca b 7a) b £<*) b ia) b Ca)\
((((^b7a)b£0b£a)bCa)=*
(((7a b Sc) b £*) b Ca) b 7a; (((¿«Ma)bCa)b7a)b£a;
(((£a b Ca) b 7a) b £a) b
The long metaphysical cycles6 are deduced from the most primitive forms, marking the involved informational entities within an informing entity a. The most simple surveying definitional scheme is, for instance,
( a b; b «ï \
\
c<
(a (= a)
\
a i
7«;
¿•a i \ £a }}
(23)
We see how the metaphysical component ct |= a remains informationally open because of the presence of the system formula a |=; f= a in which a's metaphysicalism is recursively open, that is, can inform and can be informed both interiorly and exteriorly in concern to entity a. The metaphysical openness of entity a means that metaphysicalism of a informs and is informed, that is, (a (= a) |= and [= (a \= a), which is a recursive property of system a b> b a- This definitional scheme can be expressed in the primitive metaphysical form, which is
a ■■ Def
( a b; b
(a b a)
\
/ -^a b -^ai ^
Ca b Ca'i la b 7a i
b ^at \ £q b £a }j
(24)
Formula 23 and formula 24 are merely the initial schemes for the construction of the so-called long metaphysical cycles of informing within informational entity a. The implicational part of the long
(22)
6The term long metaphysical cycle concerns the longest cyclically structured operand-operator informational formula, which considers all the identified components occurring in a metaphysical cycle, constructed by a. constructing informational entity. Within characteristic systemic components (informing, counterinforming, counterinformation, embedding, and embedding information) of an entity, concrete informational entities appear (look-at, for example, formula 30), which can concretely lengthen the conceptually basic metaphysical cycle.
74 Informática 17 (1993) 65-80
A.P. Železni kar
metaphysical cycle of entity a's informing is
(a |= a)lOI1g —Def
1= £«) |=
( (((((I* t= Ca) |= 7a) \= 1= O \ . h «) 1= m<* N 7or) t= ea) (= ea) N a)
\=la)\=ca\
7a) ^
(((((e0 (= a) (= la) ca) (= 7a) 1= €a) \= €a
VV
n
(25)
In long metaphysical cycles, entity a observes its constituting parts 2aXai 7«: £<*-, an