FROM DATA TO MEANING: A PHILOSOPHICAL FRAMEWORK FOR INTERPRETING DIGITAL PHENOMENA IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY
DOI:
10.47353/satukata.v4i1.4606Published:
2025-12-31Downloads
Abstract
The exponential growth of digital technologies has transformed how data is produced, interpreted, and integrated into human understanding. However, the transition from raw data to meaningful insight remains philosophically underexplored. This article proposes a comprehensive philosophical framework for interpreting digital phenomena by synthesizing perspectives from hermeneutics, phenomenology, and philosophy of information. It argues that digital data is not inherently meaningful but becomes meaningful through interpretative processes shaped by human cognition, socio-cultural context, and technological mediation. The study introduces three interpretative layers: syntactic (data structure), semantic (contextual meaning), and existential (human significance). These layers interact dynamically, revealing that meaning emerges not solely from data itself but from the interplay between human agents and digital systems. Furthermore, the article critiques dominant data-centric paradigms that assume objectivity and neutrality, emphasizing instead the interpretative and constructed nature of digital knowledge. Methodologically, this research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, examining theoretical literature across philosophy, information science, and digital studies. The findings demonstrate that digital phenomena should be understood as hybrid entities—simultaneously technical and interpretative—requiring interdisciplinary frameworks. This study contributes to philosophical discourse by offering a structured model that bridges technical data analysis and humanistic interpretation. It also provides implications for artificial intelligence, digital ethics, and knowledge production in the information age. Ultimately, the paper calls for a shift from data-driven epistemology toward meaning-oriented interpretation to better understand the complexities of digital reality.
Keywords:
Digital Phenomena Philosophy of Information HermeneuticsReferences
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