The Semantic Sphere 1: Computation, Cognition and Information Economy

Chapter 14

The Perspective of the Humanities:Toward Explicit Knowledge

The spread of the digital medium is already giving rise to a profound change in the public sphere. This is a change in the scale of civilization, and it will be thought out over several generations, as was the case for the invention of writing, the alphabet and printing. Just as previous changes in communication led to or brought about (without mechanically determining them) transformations in the forms of knowledge, the changes under way will likely lead to a scientific revolution. The exact contours of such a revolution are still difficult to predict, but the IEML model suggests certain intellectual and methodological horizons. In this chapter, I will explore how the Hypercortex could contribute to the renewal of the human sciences. As shown in the conceptual map in Figure 14.1, I will look at the culture studied by the humanities and social sciences, that is, human collective intelligence. If this intelligence can be reflected in the mirror of the Hypercortex, how will the landscape of the human sciences be changed?

14.1. Context

Chapter 5 outlined the general context of the transformation of the human sciences, in particular the stakes involved and the weaknesses and strengths of the contemporary human sciences. As regards the stakes, the question of human development is becoming increasingly important. It is clear that societies that fund public research and education in the human sciences expect “results” ...