Philosophy of information science: a conceptualization proposal

uma proposta de conceituação

Abstract

Philosophy plays a central role in the development of scientific thought, as an intellectual activity focused on problematizing, improving, and continually renewing the foundations and developments of science. In the context of Information Science, a philosophical approach can contribute to the critical analysis of its epistemological and methodological foundations, promoting interdisciplinarity and theoretical advancement in the field. This article aims to propose a conceptualization of the Philosophy of Information Science as an emerging field distinct from the Philosophy of Information, highlighting its potential contributions to a critical, rigorous, and contextualized reflection on Information Science. To this end, we seek to differentiate the philosophical investigation of the information phenomenon from the philosophical analysis of the theoretical, methodological, and epistemological assumptions of Information Science. To develop this proposal, the article is organized into three sections, corresponding to the areas analyzed. The first section addresses Information Science, examining its historical trajectory, its interdisciplinary articulations, the main theories on the information phenomenon, and the debates surrounding its paradigms. The second section is devoted to the Philosophy of Information, emphasizing the contributions of Luciano Floridi and Rafael Capurro, but also criticizing the tendency to subsume all philosophical reflection on information under this model, highlighting the need for conceptual distinctions between these fields. Finally, the third section proposes a conceptual delimitation of the Philosophy of Information Science, understood as a field focused on the philosophical analysis of the structure, methods, and theoretical assumptions of Information Science, in conjunction with classical frameworks of the Philosophy of Science – such as Immanuel Kant, Karl Popper, Thomas Kuhn, and Paul Feyerabend. This interface allows for the formulation of a series of questions that can inform future investigations into scientific practice in the field, linked to four methodological axes: conceptual analysis, epistemological critique, historical genealogy, and hermeneutics of scientific discourse. This theoretical, exploratory, and bibliographical research concludes that distinguishing between fields is fundamental to the theoretical and methodological advancement of Information Science, as it avoids conceptual confusion and promotes the delimitation of specific objects and approaches. The study seeks to contribute to the consolidation of the Philosophy of Information Science as an autonomous field of research, capable of developing critical, rigorous, and contextualized reflections on the foundations, methods, and implications of Information Science.