Philosophy of information. Social Sciences Essay.

Philosophy of Information
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Introduction
Communication refers to the act of conveying information from one person to another. For successful communication to occur, the intended information must be transferred effectively to the intended person or a group of people. Most often, a communication medium or channel is required to ensure that the receiver obtains the information sent by the sender. Besides, a channel is said to be effective if the conveyed information is not distorted, and clarity of the message is not lost. Most often, a communication channel adopted may successfully transfer the intended information but without clarity, which may promote ambiguity that tends to affect communication. This literature examines and explains why a communication channel that is sometimes unreliable is insufficient for knowledge, even in situations why it becomes reliable.
It is critical to comprehend that a channel that, in some situations, transmits misleading and unreliable information, should not be trusted. In most cases, if such medium is trusted by either the sender or the receiver, there are high chances that even in times when the message contained is correct, there are higher chances that they will not trust the contents of the message contained. Therefore, an uncertain communication channel cannot be adopted as a useful or reliable source of knowledge.
For example, using e-mail as a suitable channel for communication may not be regarded as a sufficient medium even if it transmits the intended information successfully. Ideally, the e-mail game would help in understanding why e-mail may sometimes become an unreliable medium of communication. For instance, when John writes an e-mail and proposes to meet Mary, and she confirms by writing electronically, and John receives the conformation. He understands that Mary knows his intentions for meeting her, but Mary may not understand whether John knows that she will be available. This is because Mary does not know if John has opened her confirmation e-mail. After opening the e-mail, it is clear that John does not know that Mary got and read the e-mail, and he, therefore, he does not know that Mary knows about his confirmation. In this instance, it is clear that common knowledge cannot be obtained through a series of e-mails. Additionally, common knowledge would be needed to ensure that both John and Mary are in epistemic states that guarantee certainty.[Mihnea C. Moldoveanu and Joel A.C. Baum. 2014. Epinets: The Epistemic Structure and Dynamics of Social Networks. Stanford University Press.]
It is, however, critical to comprehend that it is assumed that meetings that are successfully planned through electronic mails are considered commonplace. Therefore, they do not necessitate multiple confirmations. This is because there is common knowledge that e-mail, which is the communication channel, is sufficiently reliable, and with one confirmation, it is possible to establish an epistemic shortcut that substitutes full-common knowledge.[Mihnea C. Moldoveanu and Joel A.C. Baum. 2014. Epinets: The Epistemic Structure and Dynamics of Social Networks. Stanford University Press.]
From the example provided, in case John shows up at the appointed place and at the required time, then fails to find Mary. Then Mary’s failure to attend may be examined from different viewpoints. For instance, it would be concluded that she did not receive the message, and this would be further linked to issues such as technical glitch, and there would also be a probability that she did not open and read the e-mail. To ensure that e-mail becomes an effective communication channel in this case, then these issues should be addressed to facilitate successful information sharing.
Additionally, it is vital to note that the communication channel’s usefulness and effectiveness in conveying information from the sender to the receiver may have a significant impact on an epistemology. Most often, epistemology examines and evaluates different aspects of knowledge, such as its forms limits, and sources. Additionally, epistemology may be examined as an effective philosopher’s method of doing cognitive science. This is because as people aim at comprehending the issues happening in the world they live in, and they are likely to be influenced by different forces, and this would affect their final perception.[Mihnea C. Moldoveanu and Joel A.C. Baum. 2014. Epinets: The Epistemic Structure and Dynamics of Social Networks. Stanford University Press.] [A.P. Martinich, and Avrum Stroll. 2020. "Epistemology." April 23. Accessed May 22, 2020. /topic/epistemology.]
People tend to make different theories that help them in making sense of the things happening to them. Furthermore, information is considered as an epistemologically essential commodity since it helps in influencing knowledge, and without it, people are more likely to remain ignorant. Besides, since epistemology is associated with learning, intelligence, and acquiring instructions, it is possible to conclude that a communication channel selected in passing directions or information may have a negative influence on epistemology. Further, this would also affect the quality of knowledge given by the speaker to the receiver. Having an unreliable medium of communication makes the receiver doubt the information received, which would significantly affect the knowledge acquired.
Moreover, communication channels also influence meaning, truth, and information. For example, different channels may be utilized for dispensing information in train stations and airports, among other places. Using information booths in these places to provide information to travelers demands that they offer answers to the questions that people may have about when the planes and the trains are expected to depart or arrive. However, travelers do not expect these booths to offer just any answers, but only those that are true and correct. Besides, the information displayed on the booths should have meaning because without it, then truth cannot be acquired. It is critical to recognize that false statements may be meaningful in some situations, just like correct and accurate statements. However, the information booths in stations are not meant for providing untrue and inaccurate information; their aim is to give accurate and reliable details.[Dretske Fred, 2008. "Epistemology and Information." In Handbook of the Philosophy of Science, Volume 8. Philosophy of Information, by Pieter and Johan Van Benthem Adriaans, 29-47. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier-North Holland.]
Additionally, for the travelers, if there is no information provided about trains and airplanes is true, then they have not been provided with any information. Instead, the travelers may be said to have been misinformed. If nothing the travelers are told is true, then they cannot leave with knowledge. From this instance, it is clear that communication channels used to pass the intended information to the receivers should be based on facts and meaning to facilitate knowledge. In case the channel is misinforming and misleading, then the recipient does not acquire knowledge.
Furthermore, the communication channel established between the source and the receiver is crucial for epistemology since both the source and the receiver are regarded as information-theoretic labels. Then, unless the recipient of the information is connected to the sender’s (source of information) appropriately through reliable and sufficient communication channels, the facts cannot be made known to the receiver. The communication theory is critical in understanding what a good and dependable channel should look like and the conditions necessary for promoting the successful transmission of information. It is vital to understand that even a reliable channel may also become insufficient for gaining knowledge. For example, a phone can be considered an effective medium of passing information from the sender to the receiver; however, if the phone lines are destroyed, effective communication cannot occur.[Dretske Fred, 2008. "Epistemology and Information." In Handbook...