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Файл:The Information Resonance in Social System. Monograph
.pdf
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL THEORY 21
Theoretical grounding of an increase in differentiation of
social communication given by N. Luhmann is treated in the
book as the ground for the growth of intensity of social
information interaction. The range of evolutionary mechanisms
of variation and choice of inherited selections is increasingly
widening, which accelerates socio-cultural evolution. Not only
does a greater variety caused by differentiation results in a
better reaction to the environment, it also provides for a faster
evolution.
The process of growth of social information interaction
intensity for a system is characterized by: 1) growth of the
number of information selection moments or growth of the
number of meanings; 2) growth of the information selection rate
or growth of the social information interaction rate. It is noted
that the concept of social activity form development arrives at
an interpretation of the process of growth of social information
interaction intensity.
Information and personality
Social being of a person is manifested in certain activity
forms. It is stressed that this change in the attitude to the
activity pattern is caused to a large degree by growth of growth
of information interaction intensity. At early stages of history,
at stages of relatively low intensity of information interaction
humans are at the state of wholeness and self-integrity when it
is impossible to separate any self-consciousness on the one
hand, and social relations and things on the other. The number
of things used by individuals increases and more and more
things appear to be involved in individual reality as information
interaction accelerates. The social form begins to assume an
abstract character. A new level of human penetration into the
world of things and a higher degree of self- separation of
individuality are caused by the fact that people use some
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 22
properties of things combined into lines and systems rather than
things themselves, in other words, they use information more
and more consciously.
Under conditions of information interaction acceleration
things lose their fixed names, i.e. they lose their social character
as an order. With further growth of interaction frequency social
form dynamism comes out of control of human power and
conception. On the one hand, the name of a thing is lost for a
person’s individual being, which brings it to social
formlessness, forming negates the formed more and more, and
self-separation dominates self-reunification. On the other hand,
an information set of a personality as a subject of social
information interaction becomes limiting while extrasensory
being of a personality is overfilled with meanings of certain
moments of being. The concept of a personality is viewed in
terms of the proposed concept of social information interaction
as an information structure and an information process – “an
imperfect unity of an imperfect set” of information. A
personality is interpreted as a self-unity, self-separation and
self-unification of the moments of being.
It is cognizable and identifiable, that is distinct of
everything that is not it, by its time-space manifestations, i.e. as
a result of self-reference and different reference of itself as a
psychic system. The concept of a personality of “an imperfect
unity of an imperfect set”, on the one hand, and the
interpretation of a personality as an integral information set, as
a semantic system under conditions of information interaction
on the other hand, mutually complement each other and lead to
a qualitatively new understanding of a personality under social
information interaction. If the concept of a personality as “an
imperfect unity of an imperfect set” helps to outline ontological
aspects in the analysis of a personality as a subject of social
information interaction, the concept of a personality as an
extrasensory structure makes it possible to analyze the problem
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL THEORY 23
from the point of view of the socio-philosophic approach in
which a human personality is treated in terms of its relation to
the social whole. It is pointed out that existence of a personality
under conditions of social information interaction is living in
the state of extrasensory social being.
An ability of humans to relate with the social whole in the
absence of direct communication and interaction results from
people’s individualization caused by the common and separate
character of their activity. In the reasoning concerning
extrasensory being of a personality self-reference of a psychic
system is compared to the concept of a personality as the selfunity, self-separation and self-unification of the moments of
being or information. A personality as “an imperfect unity of an
imperfect set” of information creates other things as sets of
information and is created by them. In this sense an individual
calls its name and calls the name of another, an isomorpf of
another. It is concluded that the interpretation of social
information interaction includes the definition of the subject of
interaction, in particular an individual as “an imperfect unity of
an imperfect set” of information and a semantic unit of social
information interaction as “the name of a thing” which cause
and interrelate the growth of social information interaction
intensity.
Information in modern society
Based on the proposed interpretation of social information
interaction I reveal the dependence of characteristics of modern
society on the intensity of social information interaction. It is
manifested in “the formation” of a personality” s reality as the
subject of social information interaction in modern society. It is
pointed out that extrasensory being of a personality occurs in
both traditional society and modern information-oriented
society as well. Traditional society is characterized by “low
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 24
frequencies” of information interaction and by relatively weakly
differentiated communication processes which are sparse and
simple in their structure while “high frequency” of information
interaction is typical of modern information-oriented society
and extrasensory being is mediated by information technologies
and by knowledge.
Communication is highly differentiated in modern society;
its structure is getting more and more complicated and is less
amenable to reflection. The rate of social information processes
in society is increasingly exceeding the potential of contemporary humans as intellectual systems. Such limitations of
human nature undoubtedly result in serious contradictions and
problems for modern people and their extrasensory being. It is
pointed out that there is a distinctive contradiction between the
right of a personality to self-affirmation and their ability to
control the social setting which makes such self-affirmation
feasible or impossible. Self-affirmation is as necessary for a
personality as it is impossible because of “the eluding situation”
of society itself.
The destiny of an individual becomes “a biographic
settlement of systems contradictions” which leads to a closedcircle situation – to become a personality an individual needs
resources and possibilities that are undoubtedly rejected by a
new order. A new order rejecting an individual as a unity of
information sets, contingency as a value in modern society
(N.Luhmann) is an order caused by ever increasing rate of
informational processes in society confirming an increasingly
temporal character of the human environment.
Contemporary human beings are doomed to experience the
unauthenticity of the world given in their cultural experience as
well as they are doomed to its being infected by parasitic
secondary senses (J. Baudrillard) [4]. Social reality on a mass
scale that increases together with the growth of social
information process frequency develops self-sufficient pattern-
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL THEORY 25
independent simulacra and is increasingly forming the life
environment of modern people from them. Extrasensory being
of a personality under conditions of increasing rates of social
information interaction in modern society turns out to be
“simulative quasi-being”. Virtual practices performed by means
of “incomplete actualization of empirical reality” or simulacra
seem for a person to be a no less authentic and radical
alternative to an ordinary routine order of being.
As information process intensity grows, such features of
information society as the appearance of “information
economics” that is characterized by the development of a
technological paradigm possessing a new organizational logic
correlated with the current process of technological changes and
“the culture of real virtuality” (M. Castells) become the main
moments of “the formed” in the extrasensory being of a
personality, the moments of reality of a contemporary person
[5]. “The culture of real virtuality” is characterized by the
concept of a multimedia text, i.e. a potential integration of texts,
images, and sounds interacting from numerous points in the
global net in one system; by a new role of mass media that have
become an audio-visual environment an individual
automatically interacts with as well as by other features.
So, the problem of formation of a subject”s reality and “the
formed” as reality of a subject of social information interaction
results from increasing temporariness of social senses and the
growth of diversity of social information in society. Modern
society is characterized by: 1) “disappearing” of a semantic unit
of social information interaction, i.e. “the name of a thing”
and growth of temporariness of social senses; 2) growth
of information content of a personality that leads to
transformations of the latter, which is manifested, in particular,
in potential degradation or degeneration of social being of a
personality into “simulative quasi-being”.
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 26
Virtual and virtual reality
I analyze the concept of the virtual in terms of approaches
used in philosophy and natural sciences. I reveal the next main
propositions of views of the nature of the virtual.
The emphasis is made on the key points of these
propositions, i.e. since ancient times till now the virtual has
been treated as some potential force only, a property, an ability
that is inherent in objects and that can be actualized, while now
more and more philosophers pose the question of an ontological
nature of virtuality. The concept of the plurality of reality
proposed by N.A. Nosov to reveal the specificity of the virtual
is regarded [6]. Virtual reality is interpreted as reality
possessing its own attributes that is generated by social reality
and interconnected with it. It is stressed that it is more correct to
treat virtual reality not as reality existing statically but as
dynamically developing reality, reality in the process of
formation. Virtual reality is not being in itself, but it is being in
action. Reality is a process, not the outcome.
This interpretation of virtual reality arises from the
understanding of the virtual as a force capable of actualization.
Actualization of virtual phenomena and reduction of social
phenomena occur in the process of interaction between virtual
and social realities. It was found out that in natural sciences
virtual reality is treated as a particular kind of certain reality,
but not as its generated form. In natural sciences, virtual reality
is treated mostly as material and substantial reality, that is,
technological reality and is related to the advent of the
computer. In the humanities, virtual reality is defined as ideal
reality, as a changed state of human consciousness.
I underline differences between theories, concepts and
models. Virtual society is treated either as simulation similarity,
distorted imitation or play of mind without any practical
realization, or as symbolic and se-mantic similarity of society,
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL THEORY 27
or as a specific form of the social that is genetically inseparable
and exists only within the established social forms, or as the
existing alternative of the established stable social world
genetically not related to it. Therefore it is quite clear that there
isn”t any single virtual society. I have failed to find an
unambiguous interpretation of virtual society and virtualization
processes leading to its formation.
The definition of virtualization within the activity-based
approach makes it possible to identify a process – like character
of the formation of virtual society. Society virtualization is
understood as the process of mutual transition of potential
social actions to real ones. The process of modern society
virtualization is to be associated with computerization and
electronic technologies. The computer is a new symbolic
medium that has greatly accelerated virtualization processes;
however, we should remember that individuals have always
lived in the virtual world that other virtual media created.
Virtual processes only partially involve all strata of society and
hence it is too early to speak about the replacement of society
by virtual society.
It is need analyze four models of reality, namely,
naturalistic, realistic, activity-based and phenomenological.
Virtualization is quite difficult to study by using naturalistic and
realistic models as they describe static society from outside. The
activity-based model is best suited to the analysis of virtual
processes as it describes dynamic society from inside. In this
connection reality I define as actuality. Four kinds of reality,
namely, ideal, material, actual and potential can be study.
In virtual social reality borders between the ideal and
material, actual and potential are blurred. In the light of this
virtual social reality is defined as the system of actual and
potential social actions. I give mine interpretation of
virtualization processes occurring at all social levels and
conducts a search of the virtual in structural elements of society.
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 28
It is found out that transformation of activity of social
institutions and social communities as well as behaviors of
individuals occur under the effect of virtualization processes.
Virtualization, institutes and social order
I point out that virtualization processes involving all social
institutions result in changes in social institutions activity.
Virtualization processes of social institutions are implemented
through computerization. A new organizational form of
institutional interactions, namely, a global network has
emerged, a vertical hierarchy is replaced by a horizontal one
and an informal structure of relations begins to dominate.
Relations and managerial actions are carried out based on
integrated and local systems and telecommunications and a
more flexible adaptation to the environment emerges.
Institutional interactions are widened in the process of
introduction of computer technologies. Institutional interactions
are increasingly becoming temporary. Institutions begin to
focus their activity on generation of simulative functions. The
transformation of social institutions caused by virtualization
processes is a necessary condition of the adaptation of social
institutions to the changed social environment.
Those social institutions that haven’t undergone changes
cannot withstand competition and in the long run completely
disappear. A new form of organization of social relations –
a global network – has appeared in modern society. The
network existing in industrial society was local; it integrated
physically localized in time and space social institutions, social
communities and social actors. In post-industrial society the net
has acquired a global character by integrating social institutions,
social communities and social actors separated in time and
space. Time-space borders are becoming blurred.
Virtuality may be regarded as an attribute of the net because
a net-based organizational form of relations leads to the
CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL THEORY 29
expansion of space. In addition, its geometry is sufficiently
changeable, that is, network nodes are created and disappear
quickly. I attract the attention to the advent of a new type of
communities – virtual Internet-based communities. Virtual
communities interact; they are interconnected with social
communities and influence them changing behaviors of
individuals forming these communities. At the same time,
virtual communities possess attributes distinguishing them from
social communities. There are no social restrictions in virtual
communities and interaction between individuals is anonymous.
In virtual communities normative control begins to weaken and
a self-regulation mechanism works. There is feedback between
subjects.
In virtual communities interactions are conducted
computers and computer reality is conventional, intangible and
unlimited. Interactions in virtual reality possess the following
attributes of virtuality: they emerge and are actualized if
individual are interested in them and disintegrate quickly.
Virtual communities contribute to both compaction and
expansion of space interactions simultaneously. In virtual
communities due to the availability of the global network
individuals can expand their social interactions beyond the
boundaries of their areas and strengthen social interactions
within their areas. A network-based organizational form having
a global nature is an alternative to an area-based organizational
form of society.
Virtualization processes are cause transformations of
individuals’ behavior. In virtual society axiological senses of
information that individuals exchange disappear. Not only do
modern information technologies accelerate information flows
but they also transform the underlying structure of information.
Information becomes a flow of the de-fining without any
connection with the defined. Information is trans-formed to
communicability or broadcasting that produces a real and
PART 1. METHODOLOGY AND THEORETICAL PRECONDITIONS 30
symbolic world of vacuousness. Continued generation of
information, play on information, juggling, distortion, use and
turning information into a tool of struggle leads to distortion of
communication and escape from its authenticity to the world of
technological and social speculation. Nature and people
continue functioning while the purport of being has long
disappeared. Virtual communications more and more carry
people away from communication with existing society.
Social relations develop due to dramatized communication
that includes a lot of behavioral models. Dramatization of life is
manifested in an interactive exchange of symbols. As
interactive information space develops, the performance merges
with life in which differentiation of imaginary and real, public
and intimate becomes more and more challenging. Public
vanishes in the total dramatization of social on its way to virtual
society. Performances become more and more real, more
similar to life and included in it.
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