Infosphere: The Evolution of Our Informational Environment
The concept of the infosphere describes the totality of the information that surrounds us. While we often think of information as something we access via a screen, the infosphere encompasses every data point, conversation, and signal that shapes human experience. Over the last several decades, the definition of this term has evolved from a simple category of environmental spheres to a complex philosophical framework that defines the nature of existence itself.
Key Facts
- Origin: First documented in 1970 by Kenneth E. Boulding.
- Scope: Includes everything from spoken conversation and books to digital data and physical observations.
- Evolution: Shifted from a subset of the social environment to a global system encompassing both online and offline information.
- Distinction: Unlike cyberspace, which is purely digital, the infosphere includes analogue and physical informational spaces.
The Early Conceptualizations (1970s)
The term was first introduced in 1970 by Kenneth E. Boulding. He positioned the infosphere as one of six primary "spheres" of his system, alongside the biosphere (living organisms), hydrosphere (water), lithosphere (rock), atmosphere (air), and sociosphere (social structures). Boulding viewed the infosphere as a critical segment of the sociosphere, consisting of the inputs and outputs of human communication—such as books, radio, lectures, and personal observations.
Boulding argued that the infosphere is central to human progress, suggesting that all development is essentially a learning process dependent on these networks of information flows.
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Shortly after, in 1971, R.Z. Sheppard used the term in a Time Magazine review to describe a more suffocating aspect of the environment. He characterized the infosphere as a layer of "electronic and typographical smog" made up of government propaganda, advertising, and journalistic clichés, suggesting that humans are often unaware of how this environment shapes them.
The Shift Toward Digital Integration (1980s - 1990s)
By 1980, futurist Alvin Toffler expanded the concept in his book The Third Wave. Toffler observed that society was adding a new strata of communication to the social system. He contrasted the "Second Wave" infosphere—which relied on the telephone, post office, and mass media—with an emerging "Third Wave" that would fundamentally alter how humans interact with information.
As the 1990s progressed, the term moved beyond media studies to explore the intersection of the Internet, culture, and spirituality. Steven Vedro, in Digital Dharma, linked the infosphere to the noosphere—a term coined by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to describe the collective sphere of human thought. Vedro suggested that the infosphere extends the human nervous system into a global embrace, affecting our mental and cultural lives.
The Modern Informational Ontology
In 1999, Luciano Floridi provided a comprehensive reinterpretation of the infosphere, drawing a parallel to the biosphere. Floridi defined the infosphere as the entire informational environment, consisting of all informational entities, their properties, interactions, and processes.
According to Floridi, the infosphere is a vast system of services and documents encoded in any semiotic (sign-based) or physical media. This includes:
- Alphanumeric texts and mathematical formulae.
- Multimedia products, films, and videoclips.
- Statistical data and hypertexts.
- Memories, beliefs, and artistic interpretations.
Crucially, Floridi distinguishes the infosphere from cyberspace. While cyberspace is a digital sub-region, the infosphere includes all offline and analogue information. This perspective leads to an informational ontology, where the infosphere is equated to the totality of Being.
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Summary of Infosphere Perspectives
| Thinker | Era | Primary Definition | Key Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenneth E. Boulding | 1970 | One of six environmental spheres | Learning and information flows |
| R.Z. Sheppard | 1971 | Electronic/typographical smog | Media and advertising saturation |
| Alvin Toffler | 1980 | New strata of communication | Transition from mass media to digital |
| Luciano Floridi | 1999 | Totality of informational entities | Informational ontology and analogue spaces |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the infosphere and cyberspace?
Cyberspace refers specifically to the digital realm of computers and the internet. The infosphere is much broader, encompassing cyberspace as a sub-region while also including all analogue, offline, and physical information.
Who first coined the term infosphere?
The first documented use of the term was by Kenneth E. Boulding in 1970, who included it as one of the six spheres of his systemic model of the world.
How does the infosphere relate to the noosphere?
The noosphere, proposed by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, refers to the collective sphere of human thought and spiritual seeking. Some thinkers, like Steven Vedro, view the infosphere as an evolution or extension of this shared mental space.
What is an informational ontology?
An informational ontology is a philosophical perspective, championed by Luciano Floridi, that views the totality of existence (Being) as being fundamentally informational in nature.
What constitutes the infosphere according to Luciano Floridi?
It consists of all informational entities, including data, knowledge, beliefs, memories, and images, regardless of whether they are stored in alphanumeric text, multimedia, or other physical and semiotic media.