A Dialogue Concerning Two World Systems: Info-Computational vs. Mechanistic

TL;DR

This paper debates the shift from mechanistic to info-computational naturalism, exploring its implications for understanding the universe, causality, and revitalizing computationalism in philosophy of mind.

Contribution

It critically examines the concept of pancomputationalism and its potential to serve as a foundational causal framework for the world.

Findings

Pancomputationalism could provide a causal structure for the universe

The research program may revitalize computationalism in philosophy of mind

The paper develops the notion of computing in relation to traditional concepts

Abstract

The dialogue develops arguments for and against adopting a new world system, info-computationalist naturalism, that is poised to replace the traditional mechanistic world system. We try to figure out what the info-computational paradigm would mean, in particular its pancomputationalism. We make some steps towards developing the notion of computing that is necessary here, especially in relation to traditional notions. We investigate whether pancomputationalism can possibly provide the basic causal structure to the world, whether the overall research programme appears productive and whether it can revigorate computationalism in the philosophy of mind.