On the Way to Cognitive-Digital Conceptualization of the Concept of Fact

The paper studies the problem of defining the concept of fact in the conditions of digitalization of reality, consistently examines the stages of the formation of this concept and the dependence of conceptualizations corresponding to these stages on philosophical and scientific theories, as well as on the needs of their practical use. The advantages and disadvantages of considering facts in the horizons of classical and non-classical epistemology, in the context of physical and sociological theory, as well as in various practices related to the use of IT technologies are analyzed. The linguistic, perceptual and material-practical components of the concept of fact in modern science and technology of digital information processing are studied in detail.

The author summarizes that digitalization determines completely new difficulties for defining the concept of fact in both rule-making and law enforcement practices. With new difficulties, new opportunities are being born for rethinking the concept of fact itself and everything related to the sphere of fact. Cognitive sciences allow the use of information-theoretical models to explain the processes of thinking and activity. Researchers in the field of cognitive science are not content with abstractions, when things and phenomena were deliberately pulled out of the situation, out of real life, out of interaction with people and other things, out of context, because in these conditions perception and description becomes limited and unproductive. However, there is also a significant difference: the events that have occurred, situations, scenarios are considered as complex and even unique. It is not enough to notice them, to fix them: the facts need to be operationalized, that is, in preparation for processing by computer systems built with the use of artificial intelligence. Operationalization should be sufficient so that the computer can not only recognize facts, but also simulate their explanation and even understanding.

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