Objective information in the empiricist view of von Weizs\"acker

TL;DR

This paper critically examines von Weizs"acker's view that information, as the reduction of physical properties to logical propositions, is fundamental to physics, biology, and chemistry, highlighting both its innovative aspects and its shortcomings.

Contribution

The paper provides a critical analysis of von Weizs"acker's informational approach, identifying its strengths and limitations in unifying physical and biological sciences.

Findings

von Weizs"acker's concept of ur as an atomic element of information

Information as a unifying basis across physics, chemistry, and biology

Critical assessment of the logical reduction of physical properties

Abstract

We analyze von Weizs\"acker view regarding the concept of information in physics. In his view, information arises from the reduction of properties of a physical object to their logical descriptive propositions. The smallest element of a lattice of propositions is an atom of information which is considered as the essence of every physical identity including position space. von Weizs\"acker calls this element, ur. Moreover, Biological evolution is described in terms of enhancement of the variety of forms. Form could be also reduced to descriptive logical propositions, thus to atoms of information. Therefore, information is the fundamental basis in von Weizs\"acker plan for unifying all branches of Physics including Chemistry and Biology. Yet, there are inadequacies in his lines of reasoning, critically assessed in this paper.