Philosophical Inquiry into Social Informatics — Methods and Uses of Language

Abstract

Abstract. This paper inquires into the possibility of the development of ICT at the Bottom of the Pyramid. Its focus is on philosophically founded methods and languages applicable on a universal and exemplary basis. The methods are taken to be based on abduction and sweeping-in-processes and the languages are taken to be based on categorical imperatives of Kant and the discourse ethics of Habermas/Apel. These 'taken to he's' are contrasted with Jacques Derrida's 'Deconstruction'. Paul Feyerabend's 'Against Method' as well as complexity theory. The explicated monological/dialogical and formal / procedural methods and languages together with its counterparts are used to start a sweeping-in-process on 'Social Informatics'.

Data, ideology, and the developing critical program of social informatics

“…As a result of this overdetermination, there may be instances of uneven development in which “the different overdeterminations at different times and places results in quite different patterns of social development” (Althusser, , p. 250). It is worth noting that this theoretical model of social structuring provides support for many of the key findings of Social Informatics (Lamb & Sawyer, ; Ortiz, Herlau, & Rasmussen, ; Sawyer & Eschenfelder, ; Sawyer & Rosenbaum, ), which point to the uneven and overdetermined effects of computing.…”

Social informatics as a concept: Widening the discourse

“…Some works within the Western concept of social informatics also focus on the wellbeing of the information society (the ethical perspective) [208, 209]. Equally interesting can be the outreach to the philosophical level; relevant thoughts and views have been developed mainly by Scandinavian scholars [210], but their positions are different from those which Ursul and his followers used as the basis of their reasoning. In the Western concept of social informatics, these are only the marginal activities of scholars.…”