A novel way of looking at information challenges longstanding dogmas-from a preeminent German thinker

It is widely agreed that we live in an "information age," but what exactly is information? This small, seemingly facile question is in fact surprisingly difficult, and it has occupied many of the best philosophical minds of the modern age.

In this wholly original addition to the quest to understand information, German philosopher Peter Janich argues that our understanding of information is based in the much broader history of scientific naturalism-the belief that science is a fundamental aspect of the world and not a human contrivance. His novel critique of this widespread dogma grounds science in human life practices and wrestles with the very fundamentals of the scientific way of understanding reality.

Offering new perspectives on the major contemporary fields of communications technology, neurobiology, and artificial intelligence, What Is Information? provides a deep look into humanity in an information age. Its arguments show ways of reconciling the sciences and the humanities, shining new light on the relationship of science to the natural world.

About the Author

Peter Janich (1942-2016) was a German philosopher of science and the author of some thirty books and more than two hundred articles. His work has been translated into Italian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and English.

Eric Hayot is distinguished professor of comparative literature and Asian studies at Pennsylvania State University and the author of four books, most recently The Elements of Academic Style.

Lea Pao is assistant professor of German studies at Stanford University.

Reviews

"Peter Janich's What is Information? is a philosophical unicorn. This short, punchy text offers civil defense against philosophical catastrophe. It is a one-stop shop for repairing conceptual sloppiness in how we talk about information. Written with a sly wit, it is not only abstract: its extended meditation on various technologies breaks fresh ground in the philosophy and history of media. Janich joins a multi-tongued chorus proclaiming that bad things happen when we let media get away with pretending to be invisible."-John Durham Peters, author of The Marvelous Clouds: Toward a Philosophy of Elemental Media

Book Information
ISBN 9781517900090
Author Peter Janich
Format Paperback
Page Count 216
Imprint University of Minnesota Press
Publisher University of Minnesota Press
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 25mm