Problems of information in Dialectical Materialism

Abstract

In contemporary Marxist-Leninist philosophy, considerable attention is given to a discussion of the sciences. After Marxist-Leninist ideologists gave up their originally negative attitude towards cybernetics1, the philos ophers interested in science turned their attention to this new scientific and technological discipline as well, for, because of its exact methods, cybernetics is thought to be closely related to the natural sciences. Particular emphasis has been given to problems connected with the concept of information, especially the question of the 'nature of infor mation', due to the fact that the term 'information' plays a central role in cybernetics and even more so in information theory. Dialectical Material ist publications on information have touched upon various and often disparate questions. The following article is an attempt to summarize the views presented in these publications under headings which are relevant to some of the basic concepts of Marxist-Leninist philosophy. After some remarks about the possible tasks of a philosophical reflection on infor mation theory, the remainder of this article concerns, in general, the Dialectical Materialist aim of plausibly connecting the propositions of the individual sciences with those of philosophy, often in order to confirm materialist monism. Several of the difficulties of this enterprise, some of which result from the confused philosophical terminology employed, will be emphasized. Finally, it will be shown how the dis cussion of information on the basis of Dialectical Materialism in general, and of the doctrine of reflection in particular, points to difficulties which are inherent in this philosophical system.