Web philosophy
The World Wide Web is arguably the most complex informational artefact that humankind has produced, but the philosophy behind this ever-growing repository of knowledge is too complex to articulate. The EU-funded project 'Philosophy of the Web: From hypertext representations to collective intelligence' (PHILOWEB)(opens in new window) took up the challenge. It postulated that such a philosophy could be defined by combining French philosophy with cutting-edge analytic philosophy and Web research, bridging the input of both engineers and philosophers. With the input of Professor Bernard Stiegler, considered France's leading philosopher in technology, the interdisciplinary project team probed different concepts related to the Web. These included what is known as the 'frame problem' in computer science, the 'open world assumption' of the Web's inventor, and the idea of 'collective intelligence'. To achieve its aims, the project team also acquired datasets from different institutions such as MIT and Yahoo! Research. Once the analyses and investigations were completed, PHILOWEB produced 12 scientific publications that bridge informatics and philosophy. It also conducted a series of seminars on the philosophy of the Web, presented at France's prestigious Sorbonne University. The project's findings were disseminated during conferences, workshops and presentations in several countries, with PHILOWEB's final results being unveiled at the 2013 Digital Enlightenment Forum. Two books were also published on related topics, spurring debate and furthering our understanding of the Web's philosophy. This will help society keep the Web's core principle in focus and maintain it for future generations.
