Communion: Beyond the Nature of Information - Author's Introduction

Communion: Beyond the Nature of Information - Author's Introduction Introduction Scholars throughout the ages have acknowledged that scientific revolutions and paradigm shifts have occurred in human history, but we rarely have a chance to directly witness a transformation, or a clear and accurate explanation of it. William Dembski’s detailed and serious explanation of this shift from the material age to the information age in science and philosophy is a genius and rare model. From being a philosopher and mathematician, his previous writing in both fields, as well as his development of a statistical method to deduce intelligent causality. In this book, extending his earlier work, he poses the most fundamental and challenging question of the twenty-first century, namely, if matter cannot continue as an essential component of truth, what can it be? While matter was the only answer available in the last century to the question of intrinsic truth – the definition of the origin of matter itself remains a mystery – Dembski explains that without information, matter could not have been, and of course life itself. Dembski understands information at its foundation as a decision, in which specific probabilities are realized by excluding the other. He presents the information using "probability matrices", where the realization and exclusion of probabilities can be ascertained through a systematic test of inductive and deductive evidence. He does not deny the physical world, nor does he deny that intelligence and information can be described separately by their physical manifestations (DNA, for example). That puts matter at the bottom of the causal ladder, under intelligence and information, making it a dependent and derivative concept. Dembski points out that matter is also “lack of information” to function with a real purpose, arguing that the information systems we see in nature need telepathy, or intelligence of the kind that does not lack matter, in what Thomas Nag calls “materialism.” Dembski not only says that information is the basic component, but also clearly believes (as I do) that this component originated primarily by a personal God, who intentionally gave existence to the world, organized its material base, and guided its inhabitants for a purpose. However, Dembski does not try to convince us here, he suggests that this doctrine is not a prerequisite for rejecting the dominance of the accepted material structure as manifest error. While many scientists see the intelligent design movement, of which Dembski is one of the most prominent, as merely challenging the emergence of a physical evolutionary hypothesis (at the level of the universe, chemistry, and biology), this book reveals that the movement has aspirations far beyond that. The debate about Darwinian evolution so far is only a fraction of the biggest challenge to the fundamental assumptions we have about the basic structure of the world. To accept Dembski’s concept that information is the essential source of truth, means that we must transform our paradigms, in a way that is no different from the task of physicists when they accepted Einstein’s explanation of space and time, while maintaining a valid view of Newtonian mechanics. Dembski values what we know about the physical world, yet places materialism in the highest and most universal context; truth and purpose. Dembski takes us step-by-step through a series of brilliantly written chapters, revealing the challenge of the old and the scientific and theoretical possibilities of the new. Although Dembski does not do this the easy way, most writers are understandable and enjoyable to read. However, non-mathematicians like myself may encounter difficulty in some chapters (e.g., Chapter VII; Mathematical Theory of Information). I encourage readers to complete or even skip the parts that seem technical in first reading. His unification of information under the shadow of active intelligence reopens the possibility of the original raison d’etre of the old university: that all true knowledge together forms a union that describes the truth. Each short chapter brings together all the methodological requirements for making the intellectual transformation of this supreme rationality. Dembski asks about the intrinsic aspect of the universe, and answers that it is not matter, but intelligently composed information, which has a purpose and an ability to communicate. Relax, and rethink basic assumptions about the most real. Dr. Mary Poplin Claremont Gradwitt University Professor of Education Preface Comenion is the last book in the trilogy, the two earlier books The Design Inference and The Conspicuousness of Design,[1] in these books, founded a statistical approach to the inference of intelligent causality and then applied that approach to the question of teleology in biology. Comenion is an entirely different book, which is partly the reason behind that more than a decade later. Unlike material metaphysics which pours nature into its pre-existing materialistic categories, the metaphysical picture drawn here unleashes scientific inquiry, allowing science to follow the evidence wherever it leads. So, what is this metaphysical picture? In short, to exist is to be in a communicator, and to be in a communicator is to exchange information.[2] Thus the fundamental science, the science that really needs to establish all science, is the theory of communication, not atomic or reductionism or the science of molecular mechanics, or other non-rational entities, which will need to be installed in systems larger than complexity by the principles of irrational association. Thus, the metaphysical picture I am drawing is trying to play into the hands of the promise of John Wheeler, Paul Davis and others, that information is poised to replace matter as "the fundamental thing of the world", and that in information "we have finally arrived at the right metaphor that will unite" science. As is always the case with such grand propositions, the danger lies in the details, and I will avoid the details in this book. The details here would be an exact metaphysical picture of the world, in which information plays an indispensable key role. Conversely, the details here would not consist of a systematic metaphysical presentation. I took Karl Popper's warning precisely so seriously, to avoid undue preoccupation with the "what is" and "what do you mean by that" questions. It has to appear in physical terms, this is a self-defeating game, and I refuse to play it. This book is not unique to Common, John Zeziols (a proper Eastern Orthodox theologian) who wrote a book with the same title three decades ago[6], and explains his personal work in the canonical context. His book covers many general metaphysical interests, although it appears to be limited to narrow theological issues. Zeziols also provides an insightful historical account of the character, which is nonetheless compatible with my treatment of the subject as a primary source. This book is the final fruit of the Templeton Prize, which I received in 1999 for "Exploring the Constructive Interaction of Science and Religion", with a special emphasis on "Guide to Purpose" and "Expanding the Denotations of God".[7] I initially arranged to write one part dealing with both the science and metaphysics of information. That's because the metaphysical picture I'm drawing here offers an appropriate advantage for intelligent design as a scientific and intellectual project. Why did this book take so long to be completed? After (everything has a price) released in 2002 (the design conclusion was released in 1998), the debate over intelligent design first ignited, especially about my contribution to it. In the next three years, I took up most of my time in opportunities to write new books and articles to develop intelligent design as a serious intellectual project. After that, I started in serious partnership with Baylor engineer Robert Marx, it became clear to both of us that informationalistic ideas in (everything have a price). In my view, this is what has happened now, and to a considerable extent thanks to the work of the Evolutionary Informatics Laboratory. The laboratory's breakthroughs in information science have really given me the confidence to think that the development of the metaphysics of information is not just an intellectual exercise, but a project for understanding nature.[9] I owe a debt of gratitude to many colleagues and institutions. To those with whom I have come into direct contact, and to those with whom I have seen and supported the wonderful Stephen Davidson, James Barham, James Barham, Michael Behe Walter Bradley, John Paul, Stephen Bury, John Camp, Bruce Chipman, Paul Davis, Richard Dawkins, Winston Yurt, James Gordon, Billie Harper, Charles ), Colin Reeves, Jay Richards, Terry Rickard, Robert Russell, John Sanford, Jeffrey Schwarz, Michael Shermer, Robert Solan, Myka Sparichio, Charles Thaxton, Vincent Turley, Jonathan Wells, and John West. In addition, I would like to thank the Templeton Foundation, whose award was funded by this project, and the Metanexus Institute, who supervised the award and urged me to complete it. I would also thank all my colleagues. Note: Almost a quarter of the book consists of explanatory and reference margins, so careful reading needs to pay attention to those margins. William Dembski Bella, Iowa. [1] William A. Dembski, The Design Inference: Eliminating Chance through Small Probabilities (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998); No Free Lunch: Why Specified Complexity Cannot Be Purchased without Intelligence (Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, 2002). In addition to the author's explanation, the term communion is used in English to mean the exchange of ideas or feelings, and because there is no corresponding word in Arabic that performs the same meanings, we deliberately localized the English pronunciation. In addition to shortening the original title of the book from "Being as Communion" to communion to facilitate the circulation of the title. (Translator) [3] Laws, algorithms, emergent properties, and principles of self-organization are inherently devoid of teleology, as understood within materialism, but within a broader understanding of nature, they can have a real purpose, in which case they would not be described as mere matter, but a richer natural system of matter. [4] Paul Davies, “Bit Before It?” New Scientist 161(2171) (30 January 1999): 3; John A. Wheeler, “Information, Physics, Quantum: The Search for Links,” in W. Zurek, ed., Complexity, Entropy, and the Physics of Information (Redwood City, Calif.: Addison-Wesley, 1990), 5. [5] Karl R. Popper and John C. Eccles, The Self and Its Brain: An Argument for Interactionism (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1977), 9. [6] John D. Zizioulas, Being as Communion: Studies in Personhood and the Church (Crestwood, N.Y.: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1985). The reference to compete for this award is no longer available on Templeton's website. However, the original announcement of the competition can be found here: http://lists.ucla.edu/pipermail/religionlaw/1998-November/013503.html (last accessed May 14, 2013). Over 400 people initially applied, shortlisted. Shortlisted submissions were judged by the judges and all of their scores were given. The top seven received a $100,000 prize, and they were: 1) Philip Clayton, California State University in Sonoma; “The Emergence of Spirit: God Beyond Theism and Physicalism.” 2) William Dembski, the Discovery Institute’s Center for the Renewal of Science and Culture, Irving, Texas; “Being as Communion: The Science and Metaphysics of Information.” 3) Noah J. Efron, Bar Ilan University, Israel; “Golem, God and Man: Divine and Human in an Age of Biotechnology.” 4) Niels Henrik Gregersen, University of Aarhus, Denmark; “Theology and the Sciences of Complexity.” 5) David J. Krieger, Institute for Communication Research, Meggen, Switzerland; “The Self-Organization of Meaning: A New Paradigm for Science and Religion.” 6) Michael Ruse, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada; “Darwin and Design: Science, Philosophy, and Religion.” 7) Robert John Russell, Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences, Berkeley, California; “Time in Eternity: Theology and Science in Mutual Interaction.” After receiving the award, I learned from Templeton that I had received the highest marks among the applicants. [8] A new release is already underway, in collaboration with Robert Marks as co-author. [9] The topic of nature has captivated me for more than a decade. Interest in this topic motivated me to organize a conference entitled “Nature: An Interdisciplinary Conference on the Role of Nature in Science”, which was held at Baylor University from 12 to 15 April 2000. For more details on the conference: http://www.designinference.com/documents/2000.04.nature_of_nature.htm (last accessed May 14, 2013). The conference in turn inspired me to work on selected articles, edited jointly with Bruce Jordan: Bruce L. Gordon and William A. Dembski, eds., The Nature of Nature: Examining the Role of Naturalism in Science (Wilmington, Del.: ISI Books, 2011). - Dr. William Dembski. — Source: Brahin Center website - Posted on 2017-01-20 (archived at the Internet Archive) https://braheen.com/publications/intros/كومينيون-ما-وراء-طبيعة-المعلومات-مقدمة-المؤلف