Philosophy / 4. Philosophy of culture
Tarasenko
I.V.
Information in the modern culture
Understanding
of the culture as information is one of numerous determinations of the culture.
This determination emphasizes information as the essential factor of the
culture existence. The accumulation of information facilitates maintenance of
being and the possibility of the culture development. Philosophical research of
information and phenomena, which is being in the modern culture, is topic of the hour. The
problems of philosophical understanding of information and those processes
which proceed in the culture are primary important today.
During
the last century, important changes in the culture covered the system of scientific
and technical conceptions. In modern culture, these changes appreciably
influence on the sphere of information (information technologies, communication
and conservation of information and others), language and communicative
technology. The modern information systems are one of historically established
forms of communication and conservation of information. Does the essence of
information change or only means of conservation and communication of
information (material mediums) transform during scientific development? The
philosophical research of proceeding qualitative changes will intensify the
stability of the culture.
Understanding
the culture as the mechanism of organization and keeping of information is
changes today. The culture is considered as semiotic and language system. In
the modern philosophy understanding the culture as semiotic or sign system
becomes more and more prevailing. Unity, dynamism and flexibility, ability to
self-development and self-regeneration are the main attributes of the culture.
The culture complexifies itself gradually. A stability of the culture is
provided by the ability to regeneration. It does not exclude both the
qualitative changes of the culture and the possibility its crisis states. The reality, being in the
culture is or becomes sign. The semiotic structure of the culture is
heterogeneous and varied. It is particularity of operation of the culture as the sign system.
The culture as the sign system
develops according to "the laws of memory". Memory provides continuity
of the culture being, its self-regeneration. The essential elements of the
culture, which have mnemonic meaning, perform the symbolic function in the
culture. Symbols are one of the "mechanisms", which provide
continuity in development of the culture. They connect memory of the culture
and the upward tendency of the culture. The symbol can be considered as both
the mechanism of memory of the culture and "language of the culture".
Philosophical consideration of information in the culture supposes using such
philosophical terms as text, sign, symbol and others. These terms define the
relation of the culture to conservation and translation of information in the
sign system.
Information
is ordered in the culture. It is accumulated and saved in the culture in the
form of symbols, signs, texts. This imparts flexibility and dynamism to the
culture. During the creative activity of a man the reality is converted into
information and texts by means of signs and sign systems (natural languages, for example). Thus memory of
the culture (the memory as the ability to save information) is gradually formed.
Although the modernity is actualized in the culture, the past does not
disappear in the culture forever. The specific dialogue with the past cultural
conditions takes place continuously. It allows retaining succession and
continuity in the culture development.
Many
a researcher lay special emphasis on the correlation between emergence of texts
and existence of symbols. The symbols as elements of the culture are a creative
base for texts, which are the result of the cultural creative activity of the
person. Reality is fixed in symbols and texts forming memory of the culture.
Information affects the reality, which is translated in text and otherwise.
The
modern technology is the result of human activity. In the theory of information
the theoretical information model of communication supposes that technical
devices transmit information
from the source to a recipient without distortions. Will such communication advantage
the development of creative consciousness when we say about a man? The theoretical
information models of communication are inapplicable to research a formation of
creative consciousness because a creation of the new knowledge is the
differential feature of the creative consciousness.
The
qualitative changes of the condition of the human consciousness are caused not
so much mechanical accumulation of the information as the perception of the
information content and the action being the result of a choice. An insufficiency
of information necessitates needs of communications in the culture. In the
situation of a shortage of information and indeterminacy, effective actions are
possible under limited (but manifold) information. Symbols have such a
manysidedness. The definite level of abstraction of philosophical ideas makes a possible self-determination of a man caused
by his self- concentration.
Understanding
the culture as the sign system, consideration of the culture as the intellectual
mechanism and the human intelligence in concert with memory, information and
possibility to transform and to keep information are expanded in the modern philosophy
more and more. The study of the culture as the sign system allows understanding
of various cultural phenomena, processes proceeding in the culture, the mechanisms
of operation of the culture. The modern philosophical studies analyse information,
the role of symbols in conservation and communication of information. The modern
philosophy considers symbols, signs, texts in dynamics, in process. Information
exchange in the culture acts on formation of creative consciousness of a man.
Formation of creative consciousness and its qualitative changes are interesting
in the context of philosophy.
e-mail: tarasenko_iv@mail.ru