Semantic information and the network theory of account

• Published in: Synthese (Dordrecht) Vol. 184; no. 3; pp. 431 - 454
• Main Author: Floridi, Luciano
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.02.2012; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alliances; Boolean data; Education; Epistemic luck; Epistemology; Epistemology. Philosophy of science. Theory of knowledge; Handbooks; Information flow; Information theory; Knowledge; Logic; Metaphysics; Network theory; Oracles; Philosophy; Philosophy of Language; Philosophy of Science; Scientific technical language; Scribes; Scrolls; Semantic analysis; Semantics; Terminology; Vertices; New York; Account; Semantic information; Network theory; Philosophy of information; Epistemic logic; Explanation; Gettier problem; Network theory of account; Information theory; Knowledge theory
• ISSN: 0039-7857; 1573-0964
• DOI: 10.1007/s11229-010-9821-4

The article addresses the problem of how semantic information can be upgraded to knowledge. The introductory section explains the technical terminology and the relevant background. Section 2 argues that, for semantic information to be upgraded to knowledge, it is necessary and sufficient to be embedded in a network of questions and answers that correctly accounts for it. Section 3 shows that an information flow network of type A fulfils such a requirement, by warranting that the erotetic deficit, characterising the target semantic information t by default, is correctly satisfied by the information flow of correct answers provided by an informational source s. Section 4 illustrates some of the major advantages of such a Network Theory of Account (NTA) and clears the ground of a few potential difficulties. Section 5 clarifies why NTA and an informational analysis of knowledge, according to which knowledge is accounted semantic information, is not subject to Gettier-type counterexamples. A concluding section briefly summarises the results obtained.