Toward a Philosophy of Blockchain

Swan, M. & De Filippi, P. (2017). Toward a Philosophy of Blockchain in Metaphilosophy. Vol. 48, Issue 5. Wiley

20 Pages Posted: 10 Jan 2018

See all articles by Melanie Swan

Melanie Swan

Purdue University; Institute for Blockchain Studies

Primavera De Filippi

Université Paris II - Panthéon-Assas

Date Written: October 6, 2017

Abstract

This article introduces the symposium “Toward a Philosophy of Blockchain,” which provides a philosophical contemplation of blockchain technology, the digital ledger software underlying cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, for the secure transfer of money, assets, and information via the Internet without needing a third-party intermediary. The symposium offers philosophical scholarship on a new topic, blockchain technology, from a variety of perspectives. The philosophical themes discussed include mathematical models of reality, signification, and the sociopolitical institutions that structure human life and interaction. The symposium also investigates the metaphilosophical theme of how to create a philosophy of anything, specifically a new topic such as blockchain technology. Repeated themes are identified, in all areas of philosophical inquiry (ontology, epistemology, and axiology), and conceptual resources are elaborated to contribute to a philosophical understanding of blockchain technology. Thus, philosophy as a metaphilosophical approach is shown to be able to provide an understanding of the conceptual, theoretical, and foundational dimensions of novelty and emergence in the world, with a particular focus on blockchain technology.

Keywords: blockchain, cryptocurrency, smart asset, smart contract, smart networks, ontology, epistemology, axiology, economic theory, algorithmic trust

Suggested Citation

Swan, Melanie and De Filippi, Primavera, Toward a Philosophy of Blockchain (October 6, 2017). Swan, M. & De Filippi, P. (2017). Toward a Philosophy of Blockchain in Metaphilosophy. Vol. 48, Issue 5. Wiley, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3097477

Melanie Swan

Purdue University

100 N University St
West Lafayette, IN 47907

Institute for Blockchain Studies

HOME PAGE: http://blockchainstudies.org/

Primavera De Filippi (Contact Author)

Université Paris II - Panthéon-Assas ( email )

12 place du Pantheon
Paris cedex 06, 75231
France

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
532
Abstract Views
1,840
Rank
96,393
PlumX Metrics